Synonyms
Telsimia Casey, 1899: 109. TS: Telsimia tetrasticta Casey, 1899.
Lipernes Blackburn, 1889: 211 TS: Lipernes angulatus Blackburn, 1889 (junior homonym).
Notolipernes Blackburn, 1900: 68 (Replacement name).
Diagnosis
Telsimia differs from Hypocyrema in having the upper surfaces pubescent, the postcoxal plates of first abdominal ventrite separated medially and the metasternum and first abdominal ventrite without obvious impressions to receive retracted legs.
Description
Small, usually below 2.5 mm long, strongly convex, dorsal surfaces shine, finely pubescent. Head with frons relatively broad between eyes; anterior clypeal border evenly and broadly emarginate medially, lateral expansions almost entirely divide eyes and conceal antennae when viewed from in front; antenna very short, 7-segmented (T. elainae) but in other species apparently 6-segmented. Pronotum strongly convex transversely; anterior border more strongly emarginate laterally than medially; hind border evenly arcuate or slightly sinuate on either side of scutellum; lateral margins strongly descending. Elytra strongly convex, scarcely longer than broad, lateral margins not usually explanate; elytral epipleura not descending externally, weakly foveate at levels of middle and hind coxae to receive femoral apices. Abdomen with five visible ventrites in both sexes, postcoxal plates of 1st ventrite incomplete externally, with border recurved before becoming obsolete (in most Australian and some New Guinean species). Legs with femora moderately expanded, tibiae with outer edge angled near apices, tarsi 3-segmented, claws simple, appendiculate or bifid. Male terminalia. Parameres and phallobase symmetrical; penis guide symmetrical; parameres articulated with phallobase. Penis stout, consisting of single sclerite, somewhat flattened; basal capsule weak to absent. Apodeme of male sternum 9 reduced to a triangular sclerite, or absent. Female terminalia. Coxites triangular, about as long as broad; styli terminal, well developed, with apical setae; infundibulum absent; sperm duct indistinct. Spermatheca absent.
Distribution and Biology
Africa, Asia from Japan to India and Sri Lanka, Micronesia, New Guinea, Australia.
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.
Blackburn, T. 1900. Further notes on Australian Coleoptera, with descriptions of new genera and species. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia, 24: 35-68.
Casey, T.L. 1899. A revision of the American Coccinellidae. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, 7: 71-169.
Slipinski, A., H. Pang, R. Pope, 2005. Revision of the Australian Coccinellidae (Coleoptera). Part 4. Tribe Telsimini. Annales Zoologici (Warszawa), 55: 243-269.
Slipinski, S.A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
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