Synonyms
Robert Slipinski, 2007: 133. TS: Robert popei Slipinski, 2007.
Diagnosis
Robert is clearly related to Rhyzobius with both genera sharing coarsely facetted eyes, 11-segmented antenna, 3-segmented club and 4-segmented tarsi. Robert can be immediately distinguished by its size, a peculiar thickened edges and crescent shaped groove on pronotum and by sexually dimorphic claws and last abdominal ventrite in male with setose areas.
Description
Length 1.0-2.5 mm. Body elongate and moderately convex; wingless; dorsum uniformly hairy. head partially exposed. Dorsum brown or blackish without distinct markings. Head transverse with eyes coarsely facetted and weakly emarginate, broadly separated. Antenna 11-segmented; slightly shorter than head capsule with scape normal; antennal club 3-segmented, asymmetrical. Terminal maxillary palpomere weakly expanded apically. Pronotal disc evenly convex with distinctly thickened and crenulate/spinulose lateral borders anteriorly; with crescent shaped cavity near anterior angles. Prothoracic hypomeron with distinct fovea near anterior angles; prosternum long in front of coxae, arcuate; prosternal process broad with distinct anteriorly converging carinae. Anterior margin of mesoventrite weakly emarginate medially. Elytral epipleuron narrow, incomplete apically, not foveate. Protibia not angulated externally. Tibial spurs formula 0-2-2. Abdominal postcoxal line recurved and complete; male with 5th ventrite bearing setose areas. 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 distinctly separated from sperm duct.
Distribution and Biology
Genus endemic to Australia, One described and several undescribed species are known from northern New South Wales to tropical Queensland and New Guinea. Specimens have been collected through most of the year but mostly during summer, all were collected in flight intercept traps.
Genus References
Slipinski, S.A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
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