Synonyms
Coccinellini Latreille, 1807: 70.
Halyziini Mulsant, 1846: 29.
Psylloborini Casey, 1899: 73.
Diagnosis
Body usually large (3-12 mm), moderately to strongly convex with head in repose often partially withdrawn into prothorax; dorsum glabrous, smooth and shiny, usually with contrasting markings. Head: clypeus straight or rarely arcuate anteriorly between distinct lateral projections, ventral side usually without antennal groove. Eyes large, finely facetted, weakly emarginate. Mandible large, triangular with double apical tooth and sclerotised basal mola bearing prominent tooth; maxillary palp long, terminal palpomere securiform to a various degree. Ligula usually expanded anteriorly, labial palps slender, moderately separated at base and inserted on ventral side of prementum. Antenna 11-segmented with distinct 1-3 segmented club. Pronotum almost always simple with corners not separated from the pronotal disc. Prosternum almost universally simple in front of coxa; prosternal process moderately broad completely separating procoxae, usually with carinae. Winged; wing with complete venation and with jugular lobe. Elytral punctures absent or faint and irregular; epipleuron variable usually complete apically, without or with weak cavities; lateral part of elytron without lateral carina. Tarsi 4-segmented; claws appendiculate. Abdomen with 6 ventrites; ventrite 1 hardly longer than 2. Postcoxal line at abdominal ventrite 1 variable, sometimes with associated oblique dividing line. Tegmen symmetrical, parameres well developed multi setose apically. Ovipositor broad and well sclerotised; coxal plates club-handle like bearing short styli always with distinct collateral glands; spermatheca large and well differentiated with cornu and ramus.
Distribution and Biology
Worldwide. Most of the species feed on aphids but many utilize other Hemiptera as their prey, including whiteflies, psyllids and plataspid bugs. Illeis feeds on powdery mildews.
Tribe References
Bielawski, R. 1961. Bemerkungen über die männlichen Genitalien von Arten der Gattung Illeis Muls., nebst Beschreibung einer neuen Art und einer Unterart (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Annales Zoologici (Warszawa), 19: 353-68.
Bielawski, R. 1984. Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of Mongolia. Annales Zoologici (Warszawa), 38, (14): 281-460.
Casey, T. L. 1899. A revision of the American Coccinellidae. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, 7, (2): 71-169
Crotch, G R. 1874. A Revision of the Coleopterous Family Coccinellidae. E. W. Janson, London. xv + 311 pp.
Gordon, R D. 1985. The Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) of America north of Mexico. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, 93(1): 1-912.
Iablokoff-Khnzorian, S.M. 1982. Les coccinelles. Coleoptères-Coccinellidae. Société nouvelle des editions Boubée, Paris. 568 pp.
Latreille, P. A. 1807. Genera Crustaceorum et Insectorum secundum ordinem naturalem in familias disposita, iconibus exemplisque plurimis explicata. Tomus Tertius. A. Koenig, Parisis et Argentorati. 258 pp.
Mulsant, M E. 1846. Histoire Naturelle des Coléoptcres de France. Sulcicolles-Sécuripalpes. Maison, Paris. xxiv + 26 pp. + 280 pp. + 1 pl.
Pope, R. D. 1989. A revision of the Australian Coccinellidae (Coleoptera). Part 1. Subfamily Coccinellinae. Invertebrate Taxonomy, 2 (1988): 663-735.
Slipinski, S.A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
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