Phaenochilus kashaya Giorgi and Vandenberg, 2012

Giorgi, José Adriano & Vandenberg, Natalia J., 2012, Review of the lady beetle genus Phaenochilus Weise (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Chilocorini) with description of a new species from Thailand that preys on cycad aulacaspis scale, Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha:, Zootaxa 3478, pp. 239-255 : 244-248

Phaenochilus kashaya Giorgi and Vandenberg , new species

( Figs 5, 13, 17, 18, 20–24, 27, 31–34)

Phaenochilus punctifrons: Chunram & Sasaji 1980: 481 ; Chunram 2002: 112, not Weise 1895 (misidentification).

Diagnosis: This species is similar in appearance to three other members of the genus that share an immaculate yellow to reddish orange or ferrugineus dorsum, but it can be distinguished using external characters as follows: from P. indicus ( Fig. 19) it differs in possessing an antennal club with terminal antennomere distinctly elongated ( Fig. 18), the length about 2X width; from P. punctifrons ( Fig. 29) it differs in possessing a more expansive pronotum with anterior pronotal margins on each side of emargination subtruncate ( Fig. 31; also see comparative view, Fig. 28); from P. metasternalis ( Figs 26, 3) it differs in possessing narrow, weakly explanate elytral margins ( Figs 27, 5) and having the central part of the metasternum devoid of long hairlike setae. Phaenochilus kashaya can be distinguished from superficially similar members of the genus Chilocorus by the characters presented in the generic diagnosis, particularly in possessing the elongate, slender terminal article of the maxillary and labial palpi, narrow frons, and elongate basal tooth of the tarsal claw. The distinctive male genitalia will readily separate P. kashaya ( Fig. 13) from any other coccinellid species. They are most similar to the genitalia of P. metasternalis ( Fig. 12), but differ in having the parameres oval and only slightly longer than their maximum width in lateral view ( Fig. 13b), and the basal lobe not constricted at base ( Fig. 13a).

Measurements: TL/EW = 1.0; TL/EH = 1.9; PL/PW = 0.50; EL/EW = 1.7; HW/PW = 0.50; HW/EW = 0.28.

Description of holotype (male): Length 3.8 mm. Form nearly circular ( Fig. 32), suprahemispherical ( Figs 33, 34), with outer elytral margin weakly, narrowly explanate; humeral angles projecting anteriorly. Surfaces shiny, predominantly glabrous, distinctly punctate, polished between punctures; punctures deeper on head than on pronotum, elytron. Color orange except eye black, tip of mandible dark red; tarsal claws, extreme margins of sclerites narrowly reddish amber.

Head relatively small, width 0.50X pronotal width, 0.28X width of elytra (=maximum width); frons subtrapezoidal, tapered towards clypeus to slightly more than ½ head width; slightly depressed between eyes; punctures course, deep, about 2X diameter of single eye facet, separated by less than 0.5 puncture diameters. Eye large, elongate, length about 2X width, slightly oblique with inner margin weekly sinuous; subequal in width to minimum interocular distance. Clypeus weakly reflexed, arcuately emarginate between eyes. Terminal maxillary palpomere ( Fig. 17) elongate, length 3X basal width, 2X length of penultimate palpomere; subcylindrical, weakly tapered distally, ending in oblique sensory surface. Terminal labial palpomere ( Fig. 20) slender, conical, slightly shorter than penultimate palpomere. Antenna ( Fig. 18) short, slightly less than ½ width of head, composed of 8 antennomeres; length of antennomeres I + II subequal to III–VI combined and to VII + VIII; antennomere I asymmetrical, slightly “S” shaped, slightly wider at apex; antennomere II robust, barrelshaped, as long as I; antennomere III narrowest, width of base about half of apex; antennomeres IV–VI becoming progressively wider, each subequal in length and about as long as III, each narrower at base than apex; antennomere VII widest, almost parallelsided, nearly as long as wide; antennomere VIII longer than VII, with length about twice basal width, tapering to a blunt point.

Pronotum well-developed, length at midline 0.50X width, strongly declivitous, in lateral view ( Fig. 34) forming a smooth continuous curve with elytron, nearly vertical in distal 1/3; pronotal disc slightly flattened medially. Pronotal outline ( Figs 31, 33): margins of pronotum strongly arcuate in basal 2/3, slightly inflected near scutellum; prolonged and nearly linear in apical 1/3; anterior margin deeply, subtrapezoidally emarginate at middle; transverse dimension of emargination a little more than ½ of pronotal width; anterior pronotal margin subtruncate on each side of emargination. Bordering line of pronotum running just inside of lateral margin from distal border to just short of elytral basal margin. Pronotal punctures slightly less than 2X diameter of single eye facet, separated by 0.5–1 puncture diameters, slightly deeper near anterior pronotal angles.

Scutellum ( Fig. 22) subtriangular, slightly elongate. Elytron with length 0.88X width of conjoined elytra, 1.55X elytral height in lateral view; lateral margin narrowly explanate with fine transparent lateral bead; elytral base contiguous with pronotal base except dehiscent in lateral ¼; humeral angles arcuate, slightly projecting anteriorly; humeral callus distinct. Elytral punctures 1–2X diameter of single eye facet, separated by about 1.5–2.5 puncture diameters, slightly deeper near lateral margin.

Venter mostly glabrous, with occasional fine scattered setae; distinctly setose only on sides, apex of abdomen; with scattered coarse punctures concentrated medially on metathorax; first abdominal segment with coarse punctures slightly larger than 2X diameter of single eye facet, separated by 1–2 puncture diameters; remaining surfaces smooth to indistinctly punctate. Pronotal hypomeron with distinct but shallow fovea. Elytral epipleuron with deep foveae for pro-, meso-, metafemora; surface concave in basal ½; oblique beyond posterior fovea, becoming nearly vertical at elytral apex. Prosternum with intercoxal process as wide as lateral arms at narrowest point, 0.5X distance between mesocoxae, convex, parallelsided, apically truncate, with lateral bead. Mesosternum weakly emarginate at middle of anterior border. Legs robust, relatively short; femur nearly as long as tibia, about 0.26X body length; meso-, metatibiae angulate at apical 1/5 of outer margin, bearing tuft of converging setae; tarsus slender, together with claws, distinctly shorter than tibia.

Abdomen with 6 ventrites ( Fig. 23), ventrite I as long as II–IV combined; II, III, IV subequal in length; V as long as III–IV combined, truncate, superficially emarginate at middle; VI narrowly exposed, distinctly emarginate at middle. Postcoxal line not reaching posterior margin of ventrite I, running parallel, disappearing just before lateral margin.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 13): Phallobase short, about 0.7X as long as trabes. Basal lobe broad and strongly asymmetrical, distal end with triangular projection on one side, with lateral margin of opposite side weakly undulate, not constricted basally. Parameres oval, slightly longer than maximum width in lateral view; with inner surfaces scooped, differing in size and shape; longer paramere visibly longer than basal lobe, with apex obliquely truncate; shorter paramere subequal to basal lobe with apex rounded. Trabes about 1.5X longer than basal lobe. Sipho slender, long; of even diameter, curved in basal ½, straight in apical ½; arms of capsule subequal, inner broadly rounded at apex, outer more acute.

Female: Same as male except abdominal ventrite V longer, subtriangulate, rounded at apex, covering most of

VI ( Fig. 24). Female genitalia typical for the genus.

Variation: Length of males 3.5–4.3, females 4.2–4.8.

Etymology: The species name is a reference to the beetle’s color. Kashaya (Sanskrit): Hidden desires, earthly passion, based on “kasha” (=worldly life) + “aya” (=gain). A deep saffron or orange color found in the robes of many Buddhist monks in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Cambodia, or, by extrapolation, the robe itself.

Prey species: Larvae and adults were observed in the field feeding on cycad aulacaspis scale, Aulacaspis yasumatsui. In laboratory tests, when offered a variety of potential prey, they consumed only armoured scales and a few whitefly nymphs ( Cave et al. 2009).

Type material: Holotype (male) ( USNM) and 14 paratypes (8 males, 6 females) all with labels: “ THAILAND: Nakhon , Ratchasima, Sub Tao, N 14°29.45’ E 101°58.60’, 5 October 2007, RD Cave” (2, USNM; 2, AMNH; 2, CASC; 2, TDOA; 2, ECMP; 2, EUCJ; 2, IOZB)