Paratillus carus

Paratillus carus (NEWMAN, 1840)(Figs 2, 22, 45, 47, 49, 53)

Clerus carus NEWMAN, 1840: 15. Lectotype. Gender not known. Herein designated. New Holland (Australia), near Adelaide, Davis (BMNH). Newman did not indicate in his description whether his nominal species is based on more than one specimen. Therefore, I invoke Recommendation 73F of the ICZN (1999) and designate a lectotype for this nominal species. There is ample historical literature cited in CORPORAAL, 1950: 304. More recently, this species was mentioned by MCKEOWN, 1952: 371, GERSTMEIER 1998: 197, KOLIBÁČ, 2003: 50, and OPITZ, 2012: 33. Paralectotypes: Two. Australia, Adelaide (BMNH).

D i a g n o s i s Paratillus carus specimens may be distinguished from the superficially similar specimens of P. atali OPITZ, new species, by not showing a white setal tuft on the basal 1/4 th of the elytral sutural margin.

D e s c r i p t i o n: Size: Length 5.5 mm; width 1.8 mm. Form: As in Fig. 53. Integument: Forebody red, elytra basal 3/4 th dark brown, apical 1/4 th testaceous, disc with a white transverse fascia that reaches sutural margin, pterothorax and legs dark brown, abdomen red-brown. Head: Cranium coarsely punctate, frons much wider than width of eye (Fig. 45) (FW/EW-50/10); antennal funicular antennomeres subfiliform, 9 th and 10 th antennomeres triagonal, 11 th oval (Fig. 2). Thorax: Pronotum (Fig. 49) coarsely punctate at sides, sparsely punctate at middle, with glabrous streaks at center of disc, without lateral tubercle (Fig. 22) (PL/PW-87/70); elytral disc with prominent asetiferous punctation that extend just beyond white transverse fascia, elytral preapical region subglabrous, (EL/EW- 215/52). Abdomen: Male pygidium not incised at middle of anterior margin; phallobase slightly sclerotized ventrally, lobes very small, phallobasic rod bifid distally, phallobasic struts contiguous with phallobasic apodeme, phallic apex digitiform, phallic plates narrow, spicular apodemes fused at extremity (Fig. 73).

V a r i a t i o n: Size: Length 4.5-8.0 mm; width 1.0- 1.8 mm. The cranium and anterior margin of the pronotum may be black. The elytral disc may be predominantly red or black; if mostly black it shows a blue tinge.

N a t u r a l H i s t o r y: This species is known for its predatory habits on lignicolous insects, particularly on the larvae of powder-post beetles. For example, it is known to prey on Lyctus brunneus (STEPHAN) in California live oak. Also, Paratillus carus has been reared from the galls of coccids, and was found under the bark of Eucalyptus saligna SM (Myrtaceae).

D i s t r i b u t i o n:Cosmopolitan.