Synonyms
Australoneda Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1984: 204.TS: Neda bourgeoisi Kerville, 1884.
Diagnosis
This is the largest and most distinctive Australian ladybird species, easily recognized by a apically pointed profile of elytra, long antenna and legs and characteristic colour pattern
Description
Length 8-12 mm. Body large, elytra convex and apically pointed in profile; winged, glabrous. Elytral colour pattern, constant, uniformly yellowish with black lateral margins. Head with anterior clypeal border straight between lateral projections. Antenna 11-segmented; slightly longer than head capsule with weak 3-segmented club. Terminal maxillary palpomere weakly securiform. Pronotal disc evenly convex transversely; lateral margins slightly concave within upturned and thickened external borders. Prothoracic hypomeron without fovea near anterior angles; prosternal process without distinct carinae. Anterior margin of mesoventrite deeply emarginate medially. Elytral margin without thickened beads or raised margins; epipleuron not foveate. Tibial spurs formula 0-2-0. Abdomen with 6 ventrites in both sexes. Abdominal postcoxal lines separate medially, not recurved and incomplete laterally, posteriorly very close to hind margin of ventrite, oblique dividing line absent. Male terminalia. Parameres and phallobase symmetrical; penis guide symmetrical; parameres articulated with phallobase. Penis stout, consisting of single sclerite; basal capsule T-shaped. Apodeme of male sternum 9 very narrow and rod-like. Female terminalia. Coxites shaped like a club handle; styli terminal, well developed, with apical setae; infundibulum absent; sperm duct simple, uniform in diameter. Spermatheca long, distinctly curved, with cornu and basal ramus and nodulus; spermathecal accessory gland adjacent to sperm duct.
Distribution and Biology
This genus contains five known species; one from Australia and 4 from new Guinea. Australoneda bourgeoisi has been collected regularly on small eucalypts close to rainforest edges. It was taken at light on one occasion and also was reared on Hyperomyzus aphids on Sonchus sp..
Genus References
Iablokoff-Khnzorian, S M. 1982. Les Coccinelles. Coleopteres-Coccinellidae. Societe nouvelle des editions Boubee, Paris. 568 pp.
Iablokoff-Khnzorian, S. M. 1984. Synopsis von zwei Marienkäfergattungen aus der australischen Region (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae). Entomologische Blätter, 80(2/3): 107-22
Pope, R. D. 1989. A revision of the Australian Coccinellidae (Coleoptera). Part 1. Subfamily Coccinellinae. Invertebrate Taxonomy, 2 (1988): 663-735.
Slipinski, S.A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) their biology and classification. ABRS, Canberra. 286 pp.
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