Synonyms
Scymnomorphus hirtus Slipinski and Tomaszewska, 2005: 381.
Diagnosis
This species is externally almost identical to S. luteus, and no reliable characters could be found so far to separate them, although S. hirtus is more reddish brown and S. luteus is more yellowish brown. The male genitalia of both species are distinctly different and should be consulted for sound identification.
Description
Length 1.2-1.4 mm. Winged; form elongate, slender weakly convex; surfaces distinctly setose with setae erect or semierect, on pronotum pointing in various directions, pointing mostly backwards on elytra. Dark reddish brown; head and pronotum usually distinctly darker than elytra; ventral side dark brown; anterior part of clypeus, labrum and appendages yellowish to orange. Surfaces between punctures highly polished and strongly shiny. Head dorsally flat, regularly punctate, punctures 2 diameters apart, each puncture as large as an eye facets and bearing a long curved seta. Clypeus prominent, weakly arcuate anteriorly. Eyes large, coarsely facetted, dorsally separated by about 2.5 width of an eye. Antenna 10-segmented with narrow 2-segmented club. Pronotum widest at base and distinctly narrowing anteriorly; pronotal margins very narrow and hardly visible from above; anterolateral line very close to the anterior angle, not clearly joining lateral margin. Pronotal disc convex, coarsely punctate, punctures as large as those on frons, 2 diameters apart. Scutellum triangular, large, glabrous. Elytron shiny, sparsely and coarsely punctate, punctures irregular except for sutural row, about as large as those on pronotum and 2-4 diameters apart. Elytral margins narrow, visible from above at basal 1/3. Pubescence composed of curved semi erect hairs and interspaced with about twice as long erect setae. Lateral part of elytron with an epipleural carina very close to margin, forming thickened border and extending to level of abdominal ventrite 2. Abdomen: postcoxal line of first ventrite incomplete but reaching lateral margin, postcoxal disc sparsely punctate.
Male
Male genitalia: tegmen 1.4 times, median lobe 1.5 times as long as abdomen; trabes about 1.5 times as long as basal piece; parameres strongly reduced, each with single moderately long seta at apex.
Female
Not externally different from male.
Variation
Not observed.
Distribution and Biology
Known from few localities in Southern Queensland and New South Wales. Adults have been collected in flight intercept traps. The larva is unknown. Click on map for larger version (use the bowser 'back arrow' to return to this page).
Species References
Slipinski, A, Tomaszewska, W. 2005. Revision of the Australian Coccinellidae (Coleoptera). Part 3. Tribe Sukunahikonini. Australian Journal of Entomology, 44: 369-384.
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