Paratrichapus Scott

Lawrence, John F., 2019, The Australian Ciidae (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea): supplement, Zootaxa 4555 (4), pp. 451-490 : 484

Paratrichapus Scott

Scott (1928) described this genus based mainly on the 3-segmented tarsi combined with some features resembling those in Xylographus Mellié and Ropalodontus Mellié. Based on an examination of the types of Paratrichapus sechellarum Scott, Sandoval-Gomez et al. (2014) noted that the tarsi in this species were actually composed of four tarsomeres and added two more species to the genus: Cis fultoni Broun, 1886 ( New Zealand) and Xylographus javanus Pic, 1937 ( Indonesia) . These authors also included a table showing that species of Paratrichapus differ from those of Xylographus in lacking a dorsal tooth on the left mandible and having a much shorter first labial palpomere, single, deep, coarse pronotal punctation (dual in Xylographus ), biconcave (not concave) prosternum, relatively long elytra (as compared to the pronotum), socketed protibial spines extending from the apex to at most the middle and the first two tarsomeres subcylindrical and contiguous.

Souza-Gonçalves et al. (2018) expanded the limits of this genus, adding Cis lobipes Broun, 1895 from New Zealand and described five new Australian species. As noted by the above authors, most of the Australian Paratrichapus have relatively limited distributions. Paratrichapus christmasensis and P. peckorum occur on Christmas and Lord Howe Island, respectively, P. metallonotum occurs on Cape York Peninsula, and P. peckorum is known from two localities along coastal NSW. Paratrichapus australis , on the other hand, has a relatively broad distribution, extending from TAS and VIC to ACT, NSW and southern QLD. Males are quite rare and it is possible that thelytoky occurs in this species.