Aspidimerini Weise 1900
Creators: name: POORANI, J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Coccinellidae

description: Tribe Aspidimerini Weise, 1900   Diagnosis. Body small to medium (1.62–5.00 mm), subrounded, short oval or oblong oval, dorsum moderately to strongly convex and densely pubescent (Fig. 1a–h). Eyes finely faceted with interfacetal setae, margined by narrow lateral expansions of head capsule (Figs 2a, b, 3a). Antennae (Fig. 2c, d) very short, with 9 antennomeres, elbowshaped, first two antennomeres largest, first broadly quadrate or ovate, second a little smaller and subtriangular, remaining antennomeres gradually enlarged towards middle, forming a spindle shaped flagellum. Mandible apically bifid (Fig. 2e). Mentum obcordiform (Fig. 2f). Maxilla (Fig. 2g, h) with cardo laterally expanded to some degree, maxillary palpomeres progressively transverse, terminal palpomere strongly transverse with its apical margin oblique. Prosternum evenly convex, carinae wide apart and anteriorly divergent, area between carinae convex and anteriorly widened to form a chin band (Fig. 3g) (or) prosternum flat at least on the sides external to carinae, which always meet and enclose a flat area, prosternal process more or less quadrate, lies at a slightly but distinctly higher level than lateral parts of prosternum (Figs 2i, 3e, f) (or) prosternal carinae variable in outline, area enclosed between them lying at the same level as the rest of prosternum, which is flat; area outside the carinae triangular (Fig. 2j, 3b, c) (or) prosternal process regular without a triangular fold with inverted Y-shaped carinae (Fig. 3d). Abdomen (Fig. 2k) with six visible ventrites, abdominal postcoxal line incomplete, posterior margin of ventrite 1 medially concave and strongly arched (Fig. 2l). Legs with broad, plate-like femora, withdrawn into deep foveae on the ventral side, tarsal formula 3-3-3. Elytral epipleura deeply foveolate on level with middle and hind legs to receive femoral tips. Male genitalia with penis short and robust with a stout and undifferentiated capsule (or) slender and more elongate with a distinct capsule. Female genitalia with coxites transverse; spermatheca often distinctively shaped and species-specific.   
 Distribution. This tribe is entirely Oriental/Asian in distribution and most of the described species are from south and southeast Asia.   
 Immature stages. The immature stages in Aspidimerini are briefly described below.   
 Eggs: Eggs of the genus Pseudaspidimerus are elongate oval, dorsoventrally flattened and glued to the substrate by their entire long axis, usually on the leaf or other plant substrate on which the host aphid colony is feeding or in their vicinity. The eggs are dark greenish to brown with a narrow, translucent white border (Fig. 4a–d) and are broad at the micropylar end and narrower posteriorly with a distinctly sculptured chorion. These eggs are easily mistaken for early instar soft scales and also resemble the eggs of many moths (Lepidoptera) which are often scale-like and glued to the substrate. Pseudaspidimerus spp. lay eggs singly or in small groups of 3–4 (Poorani 2020). Information on the eggs of other genera of Aspidimerini is not available.   
 Larva. The larvae of Aspidimerini are remarkable among Coccinellidae in having a unique, scale-like appearance (Fig. 4e, f). They are typically elongate oval or elliptical in outline and look like soft scales (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccidae) with a dorsoventrally flattened body lacking spines, warts and other setose protuberances found in other tribes (Poorani 2020).   
 Pupa. Pupa of Cryptogonus and Pseudaspidimerus is small and dorsally densely setose and is attached to the substrate by the caudal end. Pupation takes place in the open either singly or in small groups (Fig. 4g, h).   
 Biology. Nearly all the known genera and species of Aspidimerini appear to be primarily aphidophagous (see Fig. 4e, f) and occasionally are also found associated with mealybugs, scales and whiteflies (Poorani 2001).   
 Natural enemies. Little information is available on the natural enemies of Aspidimerini. Two pupal parasitoids, Cowperia indica (Encyrtidae) (Fig. 5a, b) and Pachyneuron sp. (Pteromalidae) (Fig. 5c) were reared from field collected pupae of Trigonocarinatus kapuri (Ghorpade) and Pseudaspidimerus trinotatus (Thunberg) (unpublished data).   
 Included genera. Four genera, namely, Aspidimerus Mulsant, Cryptogonus Mulsant, Pseudaspidimerus Kapur, and Trigonocarinatus Huo & Ren are distributed in the Indian subcontinent. The remaining two genera, Tumidusternus Huo & Ren and Acarinus are currently known only from China (Huo et al. 2015b) and the Philippines (Kapur 1948), respectively.
description: Published as part of POORANI, J., 2024, An illustrated guide to lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the Indian Subcontinent. Part 3. Tribe Aspidimerini, pp. 1-89 in Zootaxa 5431 (1) on pages 5-9, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5431.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10898107