9. Scymnus (Pullus) pyrocheilus Mulsant, 1853

(FIG. 11)

Brief description: LENGtH 2.10 MM, WIDtH 1.50 MM. FORM (FIG. 11A) OblONG OVAl, cONVEX. HEAD AND PRONOtUM REDDISH tO YEllOWISH tEStAcEOUS. PRONOtUM WItH AN Ill-DEFINED MEDIAN blAck MARkING. ElYtRA blAck, APIcAl FOURtH YEllOWISH tEStAcEOUS. MOUtHPARtS, ANtENNAE, lEGS, PRONOtAl HYPOMERA, lAtERAl SIDES OF AbDOMINAl VENtRItES I AND II AND POStERIOR VENtRItES YEllOWISH tEStAcEOUS, PROStERNAl PROcESS, MEtAVENtRItE AND MIDDlE OF FIRSt tWO AbDOMINAl VENtRItES PItcHY bROWN tO blAck. ANtENNA cOMPOSED OF 11 ANtENNOMERES. AbDOMINAl POStcOXAl lINE (FIGS 11b, c) cOMPlEtE, bOAt-SHAPED, bUt bROkEN tOWARDS APEX AND APPEARS AS tHOUGH INcOMPlEtE, ENclOSED AREA WItH cOARSE PUNctURES. PROStERNAl PROcESS WItH A PAIR OF APIcAllY DIVERGENt cARINAE. FEMAlE SPERMAtHEcA (FIG. 11D) AND MAlE GENItAlIA (FIGS 11E–G) AS IllUStRAtED.

Notes: It IS EXtERNAllY SIMIlAR tO S. posticalis, tHE MOSt cOMMON SPEcIES OF Scymnus IN NORtHEAStERN INDIA, AND cAN bE SEPARAtED bY tHE MINOR VARIAtIONS IN MAlE GENItAlIA. KAPUR (1958) REcORDED It AS “A PREDAtOR OF cERtAIN MEAlYbUGS”.