Genus Bulaea Mulsant

Bulaea Mulsant, 1850: 36, 69.

Type species: Coccinella lichatschovii Hummel, 1827: 43, (by subsequent designation by Crotch, 1874: 105).

Diagnosis. Form elongate oval, dorsum convex and glabrous. Ground colour yellowish with black maculae on pronotum and elytra (Fig. 26a). Antenna (Figs 26b, 28b) 11-segmented with a compact three-segmented club, terminal antennomere distinctly transverse and quadrate. Terminal maxillary palpomere elongate and narrowly securiform (Figs 26c, 28d). Prosternal intercoxal process without carinae (Fig. 27d). Tarsal claws almost simple (Figs 27f, 28f), at most with only a weak medial dilation and lacking a basal tooth. Abdominal postcoxal line (Figs 26d, 27b) strongly recurved, incomplete. Female genitalia (Fig. 27g) as illustrated, spermatheca (Figs 26e, f, 27h, 28g) with a typically elongate tubular ramus and a much shorter nodulus, infundibulum absent.

Distribution. Oriental, Palaearctic and Afro-tropical.

Affinities. Tomaszewska et al. (2021) included Bulaea in the Coccinella -group of genera. It was found to be paraphyletic and closely related to Anisosticta, Coccinula and Tytthaspis in their morphological analyses.

Biology. The species of Bulaea are known to have a mixed diet and are at least partially phytophagous (Escalona et al. 2017). Bulaea lichatschovii is commonly known to feed on a mixed diet of leaves, pollen and aphids (Savoiskaya 1970, 1983).

Included species. Two species, B. lichatschovi and B. lividula bocandei, are distributed in this region and not commonly collected.