Coccinella (Coccinella) tibetina Kapur, 1963

Kovář, Ivo, 2005, Revision of the Palaearctic species of the Coccinella transversoguttata species group with notes on some other species of the genus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 45, pp. 129-164 : 58-59

I. Coccinella (Coccinella) tibetina Kapur, 1963 stat. restit.

Coccinella tibetina Kapur, 1963: 34 . Coccinella (s. str.) saucerottei ? ssp. tibetina : IABLOKOFF- KHNZORIAN (1979): 67 (catalogue). Coccinella (s. str.) saucerottii : IABLOKOFF- KHNZORIAN (1982): 366 (partim). Coccinella saucerottei: FÜRSCH (1981) : 83 (partim).

Described as a distinct species from Tibet by KAPUR (1963). Except for the type material (five specimens deposited in the British Museum of Natural History, London, and in the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta), no other material has been studied so far. IABLOKOFF- KHNZORIAN (1979, 1982) studied the original description and transferred C. tibetina into the subgenus Coccinella s. str. and placed it in synonymy with C. saucerottii Mulsant, 1850 as a taxon of probably subspecific rank. FÜRSCH (1981) schematically illustrated some details of male genitalia of C. saucerottii and compared them with those of C. tibetina as illustrated by KAPUR (1963). In spite of some proportional differences in male genitalia of both species, FÜRSCH (1981) considered C. tibetina as a synonym of C. saucerottii . Having studied the same papers and material of C. saucerottii deposited in NMPC, I consider C. tibetina as a valid species of the C. septempunctata species group, being more closely related to C. septempunctata than to C. saucerottii . The species may be easily distinguished from C. septempunctata by the ovoid body and partly connected elytral spots 4 and 5. Both species can be separated as follows:

1 (2) Frons with two small and round, pale yellow spots situated far from orbits. Ground colour of elytra carmine or blood-red, black spots (11 in a pattern of ½, 1, 1, 1 and 2),, allways small if present, spot 1 present, spots 2+3 and 4+5 connected. Median lobe of aedeagus hastate, sides concavely narrowing towards pointed apex. Parameres spatulate, about as long as median lobe. Terminal ampulla of sipho with dorsal margin prolonged into long bristle. ................................................................................................. C. saucerottii Mulsant, 1850

2 (1) Frons with two large, oval to roundish, pale testaceous spots close to orbits. Ground colour of elytra orange red, black spots (9 in a pattern of ½, 1, 1 and 2) moderately large, spot 1 absent, spots 4+5 connected. Median lobe of aedeagus gradually narrowed laterally and for most part conical with rounded apex. Parameres fingershaped, 0.67 times as long as median lobe. Terminal ampulla of sipho without bristly prolongation. ........... ................................................................................................................................... C. tibetina Kapur, 1963