Genus Hyperaspis Chevrolat, 1836

Syn: Hyperaspis Redtenbacher, 1843; Hyperaspis Chevrolat in Dejean, 1833

Diagnosis. The genus Hyperaspis can be differentiated from other genera within the tribe Hyperaspidini by the following combination of characters: body oval or rounded, convex, dorsum glabrous; head usually yellow in male, at least partially brown or black in female; elytron black or with pale maculation on dark background or dark maculation on pale background; antenna with 10 or 11 antennomeres, scape longer than wide, antennal insertion exposed; terminal maxillary palpomere slightly emarginate apically; mandibular basal tooth strongly curved, apex rounded; clypeus usually long, abruptly or obliquely, smoothly joined to frons laterally, distinctly emarginate apically, often concealing all or most of labrum; labrum short, narrow, weakly sclerotized, yellow or yellowish brown; scutellar shield large, wider than long; elytral epipleuron narrow, usually medially grooved, excavated for reception of middle and hind femoral apices; prosternal process usually slightly convex, with two carinae of varying lengths; posterior margin of metaventrite abruptly descending between coxa and lateral margin; metendosternite with anterior tendons of fork shape, curved toward middle or not; protibia usually slender, rarely slightly flanged; tarsal claw with or without basal tooth; postcoxal line on first abdominal ventrite incomplete, of Scymnus s.str. type; in male apical abdominal ventrite weakly modified; apex of female abdominal ventrite 6 rounded; female genitalia with coxites basically transverse (Gordon & Canepari 2008).