Phaenochilus Weise 1895

Giorgi, José Adriano & Vandenberg, Natalia J., 2012, Review of the lady beetle genus Phaenochilus Weise (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Chilocorini) with description of a new species from Thailand that preys on cycad aulacaspis scale, Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha:, Zootaxa 3478, pp. 239-255 : 242

Genus Phaenochilus Weise 1895

Phaenochilus Weise 1895: 135 (original description); Korschefsky 1932: 237 (catalogue); Chapin 1965a: 234–235, 267–269 (key to genera of Chilocorini ; rediagnosis and historical review of Phaenochilus ); Miyatake 1970a: 20, 49–51 (key to east Asian Chilocorini ; rediagnosis and historical review of Phaenochilus ); Poorani 2002: 7 (checklist, Coccinellidae of the Indian subcontinent). Type species: Phaenochilus punctifrons Weise , by subsequent designation of Korschefsky 1932.

Diagnosis: Members of the genus share a similar body form ( Figs 1–7) which is compact and roughly hemispherical with the elytral margin narrowly to broadly explanate. Phaenochilus can be easily distinguished from other Chilocorini genera by the combination of: antennae with 8 antennomeres ( Figs 18–19), eyes large and elongate ( Fig. 25–27, 33), frons narrow and distally tapered, interocular distance less than to 1.5X width of an eye, labrum ovotriangulate, mandible weakly curved with outer edge nearly linear, terminal maxillary palpomere ( Figs 14–17) elongate, slender, with length equal to or greater than twice basal width, subcylindrical to tapered with oblique apex, or somewhat swollen with subtruncate apex, terminal labial palpomere ( Fig. 20) elongate, slender, rodlike, elytral epipleuron deeply foveate for reception of femoral apices, tibial spurs lacking, tarsal claws ( Fig. 21) with elongate basal tooth half to more than two thirds length of claw, male genitalia (known for 6 of 9 species) ( Figs 8–13) with basal lobe weakly to distinctly asymmetrical, parameres unequal, spermatheca of female genitalia (known for 3 of 9 species) stout with an elongate appendix or apodeme on distal end of cornu.