Dicranosterna

Species found in New South Wales: Dicranosterna abdominalis (Chapuis), D. immaculata (Marsham), D. picea (Olivier), D. semipunctata (Chapuis). Head: Not contracted behind eyes; eyes not laterally prominent; frons without vertical groove beside inner margin of eye; frontoclypeal suture V shaped or rounded; first segment of maxillary palp ventrally flat, anterior edge sharply keeled; apical segment of maxillary palp strongly expanded from base to truncate apex; apical margin of mentum truncate or shallowly concave. Thorax: Pronotum broadest at base ; anterior trichobothrium absent; posterior trichobothrium absent; pronotal disc with or without irregular punctate depression on each side; base of pronotum not margined; hypomeral groove absent; anterior of prosternum with two median ridges, or smooth, without lateral ridges, midline slightly anteriorly produced or not produced; prosternal process narrow, longer than broad with angled lobes absent, apex convex; procoxal cavity open, gap at least half the width of procoxa ; elytra without tubercules ; elytral striae absent, punctures entirely confused, without groove at base; elytra extended vertically, epipleura concealed in side view; base of elytra overlapping basal angles of pronotum; epipleuron narrow, < 0.25 times width of elytron, apical half of epipleura with line of setae ; anterior face of mesoventrite process abruptly elevated, concave, posterior margin strongly concave; metaventrite femoral plates absent; metaventrite process not raised anteriorly; apices of mid and hind tibiae without row of short spines on distal surface; tibiae with one to two sharp longitudinal external keels; apex of third tarsal segment not or feebly bilobed ; claws with acute basal tooth. Abdomen: Pygidial groove absent; abdominal ventrites with or without large setiferous punctures; apex of last ventrite rounded in both sexes. The genus Dicranosterna Motschulsky has recently been expanded to include the genus Trochalodes Weise (Reid 2004). Dicranosterna is endemic to Australia and includes about 35 species. It is found throughout New South Wales. Dicranosterna species feed on Acacia . The most commonly collected species in New South Wales, D. immaculata , is widespread in the east and prefers bipinnate acacias. This species has globular larvae with large black spots.