Synonyms
Cyrema Blackburn, 1889: 213. TS: Cyrema nigellum Blackburn, 1889.
Diagnosis
This is very distinct genus that can only be superficially compared to Hypocyrema Blackburn sharing general body shape and peculiar postcoxal lines. Cyrema is immediately distinguished from Hypocyrema by relatively long, 11-segmented antenna with exposed insertions, 4-segmented tarsi and prosternum with admedian carinae.
Description
Length 1.2-1.6 mm. Head dorsally not covered by pronotum; dorsum apparently glabrous. Elytral colour blackish. Eyes finely facetted, weakly emarginate. Antenna 11-segmented; distinctly shorter than head capsule; antennomere 3 short; antennal club compact, 3-segmented. Terminal maxillary palpomere elongate, weakly narrowing apically. Prosternum moderately long in front of coxae, straight; prosternal process broad with complete carinae, weakly diverging anteriorly. Anterior margin of mesoventrite straight medially and entirely bordered. Mesoventrite broader than coxal diameter; Metaventral postcoxal lines very distant from coxa, recurved. Elytral epipleuron narrow, incomplete apically, distinctly foveate. Abdominal postcoxal line not recurved and complete laterally; dividing line absent. 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 distinctly elongate, triangular; styli strongly reduced and hardly visible; infundibulum absent; sperm duct simple, uniform in diameter. Spermatheca worm-like, without clear ramus or nodulus; spermathecal accessory gland adjacent to sperm duct.
Distribution and Biology
This monotypic genus is known from scattered localities in South Australia and southern part of Western Australia. Biology unknown.
Genus References
Blackburn, T. 1889. Further notes on Australian Coleoptera, with descriptions of new species. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 11: 175-214.
Matthews E. G. 1992. A guide to the genera of beetles of South Australia. Part 6 Polyphaga: Lymexyloidea, Cleroidea and Cucujoidea. Special Educational Bulletin Series, 9. South Australian Museum, Adelaide. 75 pp.
Slipinski, A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
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