Synonyms
Coelophora Mulsant, 1850: 390. TS: Coccinella inaequalis Fabricius, 1775.
Lemnia Mulsant, 1850: 376. TS: Lemnia fraudulenta Mulsant, 1850.
Microcaria Crotch, 1871: 7. TS: Coccinella (Daulis) mulsanti Montrousier, 1861.
Diagnosis
Coelophora differs from Phrynocaria by its broader frons between eyes and distinct tibial spurs.
Description
Length 4-7.5 mm. Elytra moderately convex; winged, glabrous. Elytral colour pattern, extremely variable. Head with anterior clypeal border straight between lateral projections. Antenna 11-segmented; slightly shorter than head capsule with moderately compact 3-segmented club. Terminal maxillary palpomere weakly securiform. Pronotal disc evenly convex transversely; lateral margins slightly concave within upturned and slightly thickened external borders. Prothoracic hypomeron with fovea near anterior angles; prosternal process with distinct carinae extending anteriorly. Anterior margin of mesoventrite deeply emarginate medially. Elytral margin with narrow raised margins; epipleuron foveate at level of hind coxae. Tibial spurs formula 0-2-2. Abdominal postcoxal line not recurved and almost complete laterally without oblique additional line. Male terminalia. Parameres and phallobase symmetrical; penis guide symmetrical. Parameres articulated with phallobase. Penis with additional apical piece; basal capsule distinct and T-shaped. Apodeme of male sternum 9 very narrow and rod-like. Female terminalia. Coxities club-handle like; styli strongly reduced and hardly visible; infundibulum absent; sperm duct simple, uniform in diameter. Spermatheca distinctly curved with cornu and basal ramus and nodulus; spermathecal accessory gland adjacent to sperm duct.
Distribution and Biology
There are about 30 species distributed in the Oriental, Pacific and Australian regions. Three species occur in Australia. Australian species Coelophora inaequalis (F) had been introduced to USA, Hawaii and New Zealand. Most species of this genus are predators of wide range of aphids and psyllids.
Genus References
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
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, Deuxicme Série, 2: xv + 1-1104 (part 1 pp. 1-450; part 2 pp. 451-1104).
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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