Microperus

Taxonomy

Microperus Wood, 1980: 94.

Diagnosis

1.20−3.10 mm long, 2.93−3.17 times as long as wide. Microperus can be distinguished by the scutellumscutellum:
a shield-like sclerotized plate located at the midpoint of the elytral base 
either narrow, minute, convexconvex:
appearing rounded
and slightly raised above elytraelytron:
the two sclerotized forewings of beetles that protect and cover the flight wings
or not visible; dense tuft of setaeseta:
small hair-like or scale-like structure
present along elytralelytral:
pertaining to the elytra
basebase:
point or edge closest to the body; opposite of apex
associated with an elytralelytral:
pertaining to the elytra
mycangium; elytralelytral:
pertaining to the elytra
bases sinuate, costate; antennalantennal:
pertaining to the antennae
club obliquely truncateobliquely truncate:
nearly truncate but rounded not flat in lateral view
(type 2) or flattened, types 3 or 4, sutures gently sinuate and pubescent on anterioranterior:
the front or forward; opposite of posterior
face, 1−3 sutures visible on posteriorposterior:
toward the rear end; opposite of anterior
face; pronotumpronotum:
the dorsal surface of the thorax
from laterallateral:
pertaining to the side
view taller than basic (type 2) or with pronotalpronotal:
pertaining to the pronotum
discdisc:
the flat central upper surface of any body part (e.g. pronotum and elytra)
longer than anterioranterior:
the front or forward; opposite of posterior
slope (type 7); pronotumpronotum:
the dorsal surface of the thorax
from dorsaldorsal:
of or relating to the upper surface; opposite of ventral
basic and parallel-sided (type 2), or subquadratesubquadrate:
almost quadrate, with oblique corners
(type 3), and anterioranterior:
the front or forward; opposite of posterior
margin of pronotumpronotum:
the dorsal surface of the thorax
without a row of serrationsserration:
row of asperities; a saw-like structure
. In addition the procoxae contiguous, protibiaprotibia:
tibia of the first pair of legs
outer margin obliquely or distinctly triangular, armed by 6−8 denticlesdenticle:
a small tooth, the sides of which are equal and the tip is above the middle of the base
, posteriorposterior:
toward the rear end; opposite of anterior
face flattened, unarmed.

May be confused with

Coptodryas and Xyleborinus

Distribution

throughout the Paleotropics, Australia, and Oceania, one species in Africa

Gallery system

The tunnels are irregularly branched, more or less in one transverse plane, and enlarged into small brood chambers in the longitudinal plane in places. In a few species (e.g. M. corporaali, M. nugax, M. undulatus), the brood chambers are in the transverse plane (Browne 1961bBrowne 1961b:
Browne FG. 1961b. The biology of Malayan Scolytidae and Platypodidae. Malayan Forest Records 22: 1-255.).

Remarks

Hulcr and Cognato 2013 suggest that the species may engage in communal breeding, as a result of interconnecting gallery systems.

Microperus is paraphyletic with several species of Coptodryas. Further study is necessary to delimit both genera.