Synonyms
Telsimia leucoceps Slipinski, Pang and Pope, 2005: 252.
Diagnosis
One of the largest Australian species, leucoceps is immediately obvious, as far as the male is concerned, because of the dense, almost white frontal pubescence and the distinctly explanate lateral pronotal margins. Its more northerly counterpart, T. acaciae, has much less explanate lateral pronotal margins, golden frontal pubescence in the male and different male genitalia.
Description
Length 1.6-2.3 mm. Shortly oval, convex, broadest a little before middle; entirely black above, without metallic reflection; underside black or pitchy-black, legs barely lighter in colour. Head between eyes elongate, scarcely broadened form base of clypeus to vertex. Pronotum with anterior border arcuate medially, sinuate laterally to forwardly-produced, downward-pointing, briefly rounded anterior angles, distance between anterior angles barely more than 0.5 that between posterior angles; surface of disc convex, of lateral margins slightly concave; discal punctures distinctly larger than those of head, separated for the most part by 1 diameter or slightly less, closer toward scutellum, punctures on lateral margins twice as large as those of disc and separated by much less than 1 diameter, intervals smooth throughout; discal setae mostly forwardly directed, but pointing radially near anterior border, setae of lateral margins pointing outward. Elytra broadest at one third from base; external margins very slightly explanate to narrow external borders; punctures of disc and margins larger than those of pronotal disc, usually separated by 1 diameter under oblique lighting, intervals smooth, shining; pubescence varying slightly in erectness and length, arranged in a symmetrically whorled pattern. Prosternum with apex of intercoxal process 0.5 as broad as base of mesoventrite, punctures much smaller than those of mesoventrite, setiferous, more closely set laterally than toward midline; mesoventral punctures twice as large as those of prosternal process and mostly separated by 1 diameter, hind mesoventral border shallowly angled medially, often difficult to see; metaventral punctures behind middle coxae almost as large as those of mesoventrite and separated by 1 diameter, much smaller and sparser elsewhere. Abdomen with postcoxal plates of 1st ventrite very slightly angled externally, punctures between coxae nearly as large as those at base of metasternum, separated by 1 diameter or less; median length of 5th ventrite very slightly more that of ventrites 2-4 together, punctures small and sparse, discal intervals smooth, apical third finely and transversely rugulose; punctures of ventrites 3 and 4 not reduced to a single row across disc of each.
Male
Fronal punctures and surface largely obscured by long, white, appressed pubescence. Legs with tarsal claws bifid, inner tooth much shorter than outer. Male genitalia as illustrated.
Female
Frontal pubescence sparse, not obscuring surface. Tarsal claws very shallowly appendiculate.
Variation
Not observed.
Distribution and Biology
Northern Victoria, New South Wales and southern Queensland. Biology and larvae unknown.
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Species References
Slipinski, A., H. Pang, R. Pope, 2005. Revision of the Australian Coccinellidae (Coleoptera). Part 4. Tribe telsimiini. Annales Zoologici (Warszawa), 55: 243-269.
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