Paropsisterna decolorata

A Eucalyptus leaf beetle at Latham, ACT

Paropsisterna decolorata at Latham, ACT - 7 Jun 2020
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Identification history

Paropsisterna decolorata 20 Nov 2022 AlisonMilton
Paropsisterna m-fuscum 7 Jun 2020 Roger

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3 comments

Roger wrote:
   13 Jun 2020
Dear Alison,
Thanks for your feedback. This insect was a puzzle for us. The reason we thought m-fuscum was the characteristic markings on the pronotum, like an M, dark marks on the head, and also the fact that we found images of the same insect on iNaturalist as m-fuscum. Having looked some more at all the images of both species we can find iNaturalist, ALA etc, it’s clear both species are variable in colouration and markings. Still, the best match to us still seems to be m-fuscum. Of course, we are NOT experts and would be pleased to learn why you have gone with variicollis. Thanks!
Roger (and Jane)
AlisonMilton wrote:
   18 Jun 2020
Hi Roger, I'm not an expert either. However, I thought it was more likely to be variicolis as this species (as the name suggests) is variable. I mostly based my identification on the sighting https://canberra.naturemapr.org/Sightings/3376700 as it seems to have a similar colouration.
AlisonMilton wrote:
   20 Nov 2022
Hi Roger, I now think this is Paropsisterna decolorata. M-fuscum are smaller and less uniform in colour with more grey.

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Location information

Sighting information

  • 1 Abundance
  • 7 Jun 2020 05:36 AM Recorded on
  • Roger Recorded by

Additional information

  • 5mm to 12mm Animal size

Species information

Record quality

  • Images or audio
  • More than one media file
  • Confirmed by an expert moderator
  • Nearby sighting(s) of same species
  • GPS evidence of location
  • Description
  • Additional attributes
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