Synonyms
Serangium Blackburn, 1889: 209. TS: Serangium mysticum Blackburn, 1889.
Diagnosis
Serangium is easily recognised because of its rounded and compact body with all appendages closely fitting underneath in deep cavities. The antenna with large 1-segmented, flattened club is also diagnostic.
Description
Length 1-2.5 mm. Body hemispherical with head in repose withdrawn into prothorax and closely fitting ventrally against prominent prosternal lobe; dorsum usually with vestiture consisting of sparse single setae. Mandible small, triangular with single apical tooth and reduced mola, without retinaculum; maxillary palps in repose geniculate with palpomeres 2 and 3 fitting closely along stipes, terminal palpomere always longer than wide, conical or barrel shaped. Antenna 8- or 9-segmented with 1-segmented club; antennomere 3 moderately to strongly elongate. Elytra usually smooth without visible punctures; sutural line rarely present; epipleuron almost always complete to apex, broader at base distinctly narrowing apically, with clearly delimited cavities to accommodate apices of mid and hind femora. Abdomen with 5 ventrites, ventrite 1 and 5 much longer than 2-4. Postcoxal line at abdominal ventrite 1 incomplete, without associated pits or pores. Femora, especially profemur, broad, flat closely fitting into depressions on ventral surface protecting tibiae and tarsi from below; tarsus 3- or 4-segmented. Male terminalia. Parameres and phallobase asymmetrical; penis guide asymmetrical. Parameres reduced and articulated with phallobase. Penis stout, consisting of single sclerite; basal capsule weak to absent. Apodeme of male sternum 9 broad and plate-like. Female terminalia. Coxities distinctly elongate, triangular, or triangular, about as long as broad; styli terminal, well developed, with apical setae; infundibulum absent; sperm duct simple, uniform in diameter. Spermatheca globular without clear cornu, or multicameral, sclerotised; spermathecal accessory gland distinctly separated from sperm duct.
Distribution and Biology
Tropics and subtropics of the Old World but most of the species have been described from the Oriental Region. Species of Serangium are known as predators of whiteflies (Aleyrodidae)
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.
Slipinski, S.A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
Slipinski, A. and D. Burckhardt. 2006. Revision of the Australian Coccinellidae (Coccinellidae). Part 5. Tribe Serangiini. Annales Zoologici (Warszawa), 56, (1): 37-58.
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