Synonyms
Gymnoscymnus quadrimaculatus Blackburn, 1892: 242
Gymnoscymnus explanatus Blackburn, 1895: 240
Diagnosis
This species is easily distinguished from all other Australian Sticholotis by the dark colored elytra with four orange spots and the first tarsomere of male fore tarsi bearing specialized setae. The form of the median lobe and tegmen of the male genitalia is also diagnostic. It can be confused with some Australian species of Cycloscymnus Blackburn, but these species are slightly smaller and more convex, have a much broader terminal maxillary palpomere and the elytral hypomeron with deep and sharply delimited cavities for the reception of mid and hind legs
Description
Length 3.0 - 4.2 mm. Winged; form rounded, moderately convex; pronotal margins narrow but entire, the elytral ones distinctly explanate and entirely visible from above. Color pattern consists of orange spots on blackish background. Pronotum usually entirely black with small orange marks along the anterior corners, the markings sometimes extend along the lateral margins or very rarely expanded to occupy larger parts of the lateral portions of pronotum.Scutellum, small, triangular, black. Elytra typically black with four orange spots of similar size or the posterior ones slightly smaller than the anterior pair. Ground color of ventral surface golden brown to dark brown with mesoventrites and metaventrites slightly darker than appendages or abdomen. Frons and vertex densely punctate, with short golden setae on frons and clypeus. Clypeus weakly arcuate anteriorly, faintly upturned at anterior edge. Eyes large, coarsely facetted, dorsally separated by slightly less than twice width of an eye. Prothorax. Anterior lobe of prosternum irregularly, deeply punctured and indistinctly bordered laterally, metaventrite with complete discrimen, rather delicately punctured. Elytral epipleuron usually dark, weakly concave, without distinct foveae, descending externally, with maximum width at the level of metaventrite. Abdomen: postcoxal line incomplete apically; postcoxal disc impunctate inside.
Male
Head anteriorly yellowish or brown, darker on vertex and around temples; labrum brown, mouthparts and antennae yellowish or brown. Male genitalia. Tegmen 0.7-0.8 times and median lobe 0.8-0.9 times as long as abdomen; each paramere with single long seta at apex.
Female
Differs from male in being slightly larger and more circular in outline and by having most of the head and underside of the body dark brown to almost black. Spermatheca not sclerotised.
Variation
This is a variable species. Elytral ground color varying from brown to black. Elytral marginal ring of lighter color may sometimes be visible, especially in lighter colored specimens. A single specimen is known with dorsal spots joined longitudinally forming fasciae parallel to the suture.
Distribution and Biology
Found in costal regions of northern New South Wales and Queensland. Adults have been collected on vegetation and probably feed on scale insects. The larva is unknown. Click on map for larger version (use the bowser 'back arrow' to return to this page).
Species References
Blackburn, T. 1892. Further notes on Australian Coleoptera, with descriptions of new genera and species. XIII. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 15: 207-261.
Blackburn, T. 1895. Further notes on Australian Coleoptera, with descriptions of new genera and species. XVIII. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 19: 201-258.
Slipinski, A. 2004. Revision of the Australian Coccinellidae (Coleoptera). Part 2. Tribe Sticholotidini. Annales Zoologici, 54: 389-402.
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