Synonyms
Serangium obscuripes Lea, 1902: 512.
Diagnosis
T. obscuripes is very similar to T. angulata except for the following points: In obscuripes the pronotum is somewhat more transverse; most mesoventral punctures are relatively small and separated by about 1 diameter, at least on disc; the punctures between the hind coxae on the 1st abdominal ventrite are smaller than in angulata and often separated by 1 diameter or more; the elytral pubescence is a little longer, more outstanding and less neat in appearance.
Description
Length 1.4-1.6 mm. Shortly oval, convex, entirely black above, underside black to pitchy-black with antennae and mouthparts, tarsi and elytral epipleura slightly lighter. Head between eyes slightly shorter than width across vertex, punctures a little larger than eye facets, separated by one diameter, intervals smooth, pubescence sparse, subrecumbent, not obscuring surface. Pronotum transverse, distance between anterior angles about 0.6 that between posterior angles, anterior border strongly arcuate medially, lateral borders a little more strongly convergent over anterior half; lateral margins not explanate; discal punctures, under oblique lighting, slightly larger than those of frons, separated by one diameter, intervals smooth, punctures of lateral margins up to twice as large as those of disc, often separated by less than one diameter, intervals often with traces of microsculpture; discal setae subrecumbent, mostly forwardly directed, pointing anterolaterally on lateral margins and over a small, median portion of anterior margin. Elytra with median length very slightly less than greatest combined breadth, broadest at middle, external margins not explanate to narrow external borders; punctures of disc and margins barely larger than those of pronotal disc, often separated by more than 2 diameters, sometimes by 3, intervals smooth; pubescence suberect, short, of uniform length, mostly pointing laterally, forming a symmetrical pattern. Prosternum with apex of intercoxal process almost 0.8 times as wide as hind mesoventral border, surface with large punctures separated by much less than 1 diameter; mesoventrite variably punctured, punctures annulate, usually a little larger than those of prosternum and separated by 1 diameter or less, occasionally very shallow and difficult to observe; hind border of mesoventrite also unclear, but backwardly angled medially; metasternum with punctures much smaller than those of mesoventrite, separated by one to several diameters, midline with a faintly-marked, longitudinal impression. Abdomen with postcoxal plates of 1st ventrite evenly curved, punctures between coxae as large as those of mesoventrite and separated by 1 diameter; median length of 5th ventrite equal to that of ventrites 2-4 together, punctures much smaller than those between hind coxae on ventrite 1; punctures across middle of ventrites 3 and 4 reduced to a single row on each.
Male
Legs with all tarsal claws bifid, inner tooth very short. Male genitalia as illustrated.
Female
Differs from male only in that the tarsal claws are all shallowly appendiculate.
Variation
Not observed.
Distribution and Biology
Known from scattered localities in ACT and New South Wakles and from one isolated locality in Queensland. Biology and larvae unknown.
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Species References
Lea, A.M. 1902. Descriptions of new species of Australian Coleoptera. Proceedings of the Linnaean Society of New South Wales, 26 (1901): 481-513.
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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