Cryptogonus hainanensis Pang & Mao

POORANI, J., 2024, An illustrated guide to lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the Indian Subcontinent. Part 3. Tribe Aspidimerini, Zootaxa 5431 (1), pp. 1-89 : 32-34

Cryptogonus hainanensis Pang & Mao

( Figs 21–23 )

Cryptogonus hainanensis Pang & Mao, 1979: 65 .

Cryptogonus hainanensis : Ren et al. 2009: 114, 115.— Poorani & Thangjam 2019: 557. Diagnosis. Length: 2.00– 2.30 mm; width: 1.50–1.70 mm. Form broad oval, dorsum moderately convex and densely pubescent. In nominate form ( Fig. 21a–c ), ground colour yellowish to reddish testaceous, pronotum with a large black macula occupying most of the disc leaving only lateral sides yellowish, anterior margin of pronotum lighter testaceous; elytra black except anterolateral / humeral angles and apical one-fourth of elytra yellowish-testaceous; variants ( Fig. 22a–c ) having black elytra with a pair of discal yellowish or red spots and the apical yellow band of variable size, apical margins of elytra occasionally black ( Fig. 22a, b ). Male genitalia ( Figs 21d–f , 23d–f ), female genitalia ( Fig. 23g ) and spermatheca ( Fig. 23h ) as illustrated.

Material examined. India: Tripura: without other data, one male ( NBAIR) ; India: Bihar: Kalyanpur , 25.96°N 85.79°E, Darbhanga-Samastipur road, 53m MSL, Coll. Anil Kumar, Ex. Sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari , 3 males, 1 female ( NRCB) .

Distribution. India (Bihar; Tripura; West Bengal); Pakistan; China.

Prey / associated habitat. Specimens collected from Bihar, Eastern India, were collected on sugarcane and found to be predatory on sugarcane aphid, Melanaphis sacchari Zehntner (label data).

Notes. It was originally described from China by Pang & Mao (1979) and it appears to be a highly variable species. Poorani & Thangjam (2019) recorded it from Tripura, northeastern India. Specimens from West Bengal and Bihar were also examined. Cryptogonus bhalwalnensis Azad & Wang (2020) , described based on a single male specimen (collected from Punjab, Pakistan), was found to match the variants of C. hainanensis with discal elytral spots (collected from Bihar, eastern India, see Fig. 22a–c ). Both species have similar looking genitalia with some subtle differences in the penis guide; however, C. hainanensis has one pair of gradually divergent prosternal carinae unlike C. bhalwalnensis , described as having two pairs of prosternal carinae.

Figures

FIGURE 21. Cryptogonus hainanensis Pang & Mao: a–c. variants; d–f. male genitalia: d. tegmen, lateral view; e. tegmen, ventral view; f. penis.

FIGURE 22. Cryptogonus hainanensis Pang & Mao: a–c. variants from Bihar, Eastern India; d. ventral view.

FIGURE 23. Cryptogonus hainanensis Pang & Mao: a. prosternum; b. abdomen; c. abdominal postcoxal line; d–f. male genitalia: d. tegmen, lateral view; e. tegmen, ventral view; f. penis; g. female genitalia; h. spermatheca.