Paropsides
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| Paropsides | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Paropsides calypso Lillipilli beetle | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Chrysomelidae |
| Subfamily: | Chrysomelinae |
| Genus: | Paropsides Motschulsky, 1860 |
| Type species | |
| Paropsis duodecempustulata (= Chrysomela soriculata Swartz, 1808) Gebler, 1825 | |
| Species[1][2] | |
| |
Paropsides is a genus of beetles commonly called leaf beetles and in the subfamily Chrysomelinae. They are distributed from eastern Asia to eastern Australia.[3] Paropsides are small and specialist feeders on native Australian plants. There are 21 species in Australia[1] and they occur mainly on the south-eastern states.[4] The green Paropsides calypso is a native species which commonly attacks the lillipilli genus Syzygium. [5] Paropsides opposita feeds on Tea tree Melaleuca sp.
Paropsides belongs to the Paropsis-group of genera, with similar head, appendages, prosternum, elytra, tarsi and larva. Among these genera it is defined by possession of a single attribute, a full complement of pronotal (thoracic) trichobothria (bristles), which is almost certainly a plesiomorphy. Paropsides is therefore unlikely to be monophyletic.[3]