Telsimia Casey 1899

Telsimia Casey

Telsimia Casey, 1899: 109, 165. Type species: Telsimia tetrasticta Casey, by subsequent designation of Chapin 1926: 133.

Lipernes Blackburn, 1889: 211 (preoccupied in Waterhouse, 1879). Type species: Lipernes angulatus Blackburn, by monotypy. Synonymized by Chapin 1926: 129.

Notolipernes Blackburn, 1900: 68. Replacement name for Lipernes Blackburn. Synonymized by Chapin 1926: 129.

Diagnosis. Small to very small sized adults (1.0– 2.5 mm long), usually fully black (Fig. 1a–e), rarely with elytral maculae, eyes in live specimens sometimes with a metallic green or bluish iridescent hue. Form broad to elongate oval or almost rounded; dorsum moderately to strongly convex, invariably with dense pubescence of variable length. Head quadrate, strongly transverse to almost as long as wide, clypeal margin distinctly expanded over eyes covering antennal insertions from above. Eyes large, finely faceted entirely or almost entirely divided by a genal shelf, with at least some erect to semi-erect inter-facetal setae. Antenna very short, 6–7 segmented, located in a shallow cavity under genal shelf adjacent to eye, not visible from above; scape largest, remaining antennomeres roughly spindle-shaped and compact, progressively transverse, terminal antennomere small and often telescoped into penultimate one or strongly transverse with a distinct, narrowly tubular outward projection. Maxilla with cardo strongly expanded laterally forming a narrow process, lacinia reduced and much shorter than galea with few apical setae only, terminal palpomere slightly narrowed or apically obliquely truncate. Prosternal intercoxal process broad, without carinae. Abdomen with five visible ventrites in both sexes, abdominal postcoxal lines incomplete and parallel to posterior margin of ventrite 1 (Fig. 1f), or strongly recurved and complete or nearly complete. Elytral epipleura moderately to strongly foveolate to receive tips of femora at rest. Tarsal formula 3-3-3. Male genitalia unusual and often very complex, with penis guide apically variously modified, deeply notched or bilobed, penis elongate, curved or rod like or with sword like processes. Female genitalia uniform across species, coxites elongate triangular with prominent styli (Fig. 1g), spermatheca not sclerotised.

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Notes. Nearly all the Chinese species (Bi et al. 2022) and Indian species of Telsimia (Kapur 1969) appear to have incomplete abdominal postcoxal lines that run parallel to the posterior margin of ventrite 1 and are not apically recurved (Fig. 1f). However, the two new species described here from Tamil Nadu have apically strongly recurved abdominal postcoxal lines that are complete or almost complete. The antenna also appears to be variable in Indian species of Telsimia as in some Australian species of Telsimiini (Ślipiński et al. 2005) and are 6–7 segmented. In species with 6-segmented antenna, the terminal antennomere is transverse with a narrow, tubular apical projection (e.g. Telsimia flavomaculata Poorani, 2003 and the two new species from Tamil Nadu described here). The male genitalia are also highly complex with the penis guide symmetrical and the penis often having a large, lamellate capsule with the apex variously modified.

Immature stages. The larvae of Telsimiini are unusual in having visible waxy threads as mentioned by Pope (1979). The immature stages of Telsimiini are not commonly featured in many publications and are hard to find even on the internet. Hoàng (1987) illustrated the larva and pupa of Telsimia kuznetsovi Hoàng, 1987, from Vietnam. Park & Yoon (1993) described the larva of Telsimia nagasakiensis Miyatake with notes on its biology. Ślipiński (2007) illustrated and described the larva of Telsimia from Australia. The images of the egg, larva and pupa of Telsimia are featured here based on extensive rearing of the two new species from Tamil Nadu described here (Figs 2, 3). Though eggs in many tribes of Coccinellidae have chorionic sculpture, only the eggs of Epilachnini are commonly mentioned in the literature as having sculptured eggs (Ślipiński & Tomaszewska 2010). The presence of distinct hexagonal microsculpture on the chorion of the eggs of Telsimia (Fig. 2a, b) is reported here. The larvae (Figs 2c–f, 3a–d) of the two species studied here have dense waxy threads on the lateral sides of the body as in Scymnini but generally have a broader and shorter body. Pupae (Fig. 2g, h) have waxy threads on the lateral sides and are medially exposed.

Prey / Biology. Members of Telsimia are predators of scale insects with an apparent preference to armoured scales (Diaspididae) (Ślipiński et al. 2005) and all known hosts of Indian Telsimia species also belong to Diaspididae.