Synonyms
Chilocorus Leach, 1815: 116. TS: Coccinella cacti Linnaeus, 1767.
Diagnosis
Chilocorus can be recognized from all Australian Chilocorini by all its tibiae dentate on outer margins, pronotal base not margined and distinctly emarginate eyes.
Description
Length 2.5-4.8 mm. Dorsum glabrous; elytra black or brown with white or orange markings; eye distinctly emarginate. Antenna 8-segmented, short; scape symmetrical; antennomere 8 as long as to distinctly longer than 7th. Clypeus long; labrum partially exposed. Pronotal base unbordered; prosternal process narrow, without carinae; hypomeral fovea absent. All tibiae flattened and angulated externally, without apical spurs; claw strongly appendiculate. Elytral margin not reflexed with indistinct bead; epipleural foveae weak. Abdomen with 6th ventrite visible in male; abdominal postcoxal lines separated at middle, each running parallel to posterior margin of ventrite. Male terminalia. Parameres and phallobase symmetrical; penis guide symmetrical. Parameres articulated with phallobase. Penis stout, consisting of single sclerite; basal capsule distinct and T-shaped. Apodeme of male sternum 9 very narrow and rod-like. Female terminalia. Coxities triangular, about as long as broad; styli strongly reduced and hardly visible; infundibulum a fleshy lightly sclerotised lobe with sperm duct originating at its base; sperm duct divided into two regions of different diameter. Spermatheca globular without clear cornu; spermathecal accessory gland adjacent to sperm duct.
Distribution and Biology
This is very large and economically important genus with approximately 80 species, most of them which are distributed in Palaearctic, Oriental and Afrotropical regions. Four species are recorded from Australia. Primary hosts of Chilocorus are various scale insects but some species seem to feed on aphids as well.
Genus References
Mulsant, M E. 1850. Species des Coléoptères Trimcres Sécuripalpes. Annales des Sciencies Physiques et Naturelles, d'Agriculture et d'Industrie, publiées par la Société nationale d'Agriculture, etc., de Lyon, Deuxieme Série, 2: xv + 1-1104 (part 1 pp. 1-450; part 2 pp. 451-1104).
Chapin, E. A. 1965. The genera of the Chilocorini (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 133(4): 227-71.
Leach, W E. 1815. Entomology, pp. 57-172. In: D. Brewster. The Edinburgh Encyclopedia. Vol. 9(1). Edinburgh.
Slipinski, S.A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
Slipinski, A, and J. A Giorgi. 2006. Revision of the Australian Coccinellidae (Coccinellidae). Part 6. Tribe Chilocorini. Annales Zoologici (Warszawa), 56, (2): 265-304.
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