12. Nephus bipunctatus -group

(FIG. 14)

Brief description: LENGtH 1.90–2.20 MM, WIDtH 1.30–1.50 MM. FORM (FIG. 14A) ElONGAtE OVAl, DORSUM MODERAtElY cONVEX AND DENSElY PUbEScENt. HEAD AND PRONOtUM DARk bROWN tO PIcEOUS. ElYtRA DARk bROWN tO PIcEOUS WItH tWO cIRcUlAR, ORANGE-REDDISH SPOtS IN tHE POStERIOR HAlF. ANtENNA cOMPOSED OF 10 ANtENNOMERES. AbDOMINAl POStcOXAl lINE (FIG. 14b) INcOMPlEtE. MAlE GENItAlIA (FIGS 14c–E) AND FEMAlE SPERMAtHEcA (FIG. 14F) AS IllUStRAtED.

Notes: THIS SPEcIES bElONGS tO tHE Nephus bipunctatus- GROUP AS DEFINED bY FüRScH (1965) AND IS WIDElY DIStRIbUtED IN INDIA. THERE IS cONSIDERAblE VARIAtION IN tHIS SPEcIES AND It IS NOt POSSIblE tO IDENtIFY It cONclUSIVElY At PRESENt AS INDIAN SPEcIES OF Nephus ARE bADlY IN NEED OF REVISION. THE MAlE GENItAlIA OF tHIS SPEcIES ARE NEARlY IDENtIcAl tO tHE IllUStRAtIONS GIVEN bY REN et al. (2009) FOR Nephus quadrimaculatus (HERbSt), WHIcH IS MOSt lIkElY tO bE A MISIDENtIFIcAtION. It FEEDS ON A VARIEtY OF MEAlYbUGS INclUDING M. hirsutus IN SOUtH INDIA (lAbEl DAtA) AND tHE SPEcIMENS StUDIED FROM WESt BENGAl WERE cOllEctED ON MUlbERRY MEAlYbUG.