Calvia tricolor Korschefsky

POORANI, J., 2023, An illustrated guide to lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the Indian Subcontinent. Part 1. Tribe Coccinellini, Zootaxa 5332 (1), pp. 1-307 : 67

Calvia tricolor Korschefsky

( Figs 43 , 44 )

Calvia (Anisocalvia) tricolor Korschefsky, 1940: 2 ( Syntype, NHNM; Type locality: Bagdogra range / Kurseong, Bengal ). Calvia tricolor: Booth 1997: 925 ; Poorani 2002a: 324.

Diagnosis. Length: 5.50–6.50 mm, width: 5.00– 5.50 mm. Form ( Fig. 43a–c ) subcircular, strongly convex. Head yellow. Pronotum chestnut brown with yellow lateral sides. Ground colour of elytra dark chestnut brown, each elytron with three large creamy white to yellow spots arranged in a row, lateral margin black, interrupted by three large yellow spots. Ventral side nearly uniformly yellowish brown. Anterior clypeal margin of head ( Fig. 43d ) distinctly concave. Pronotum and elytra with fine punctation, pronotal punctures slightly closer than those on elytra, interspaces between punctures on pronotum and elytra with distinct microsculpture. Prosternal carinae long, reaching much farther than the anterior edge of procoxal cavities ( Fig. 43e ), mesoventrite somewhat tumid, its anterior margin medially deeply emarginate. Abdominal postcoxal line ( Fig. 43f, g ) incomplete with an oblique associated line. Male genitalia ( Fig. 44a–e ) as illustrated. Female genitalia ( Fig. 44f ) with coxites having distinctly elongate, stout and somewhat curved styli ( Fig. 44g ), spermatheca (44h, i) with distinctly developed nodulus and ramus and a c-shaped cornu, infundibulum tubular and distinct.

Distribution. India: Northeastern region (Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, West Bengal).

Prey/associated habitat. Collected on Michelia champaca and observed to feed on the eggs of Urostylis punctigera Westwood ( Hemiptera : Urostylididae ) ( Korschefsky 1940).

Seasonal occurrence. Collected during January, April and June–July (label data).

Notes. It is a rare and distinctive species with a restricted distribution and Korschefsky (1940) described it from Darjeeling hills (Kurseong / Kalimpong, West Bengal). It does not belong in Calvia as observed by Booth (1997). Booth (1997) illustrated the habitus and the male genitalia and commented that it did not properly belong in Calvia because it differs from its conspecifics in many ways. The deeply concave anterior margin of clypeus, relatively shorter antennae, incomplete abdominal postcoxal line with an oblique associated line and distinct microsculpture on interspaces between punctures on pronotum and elytra are shared with Synona Pope, 1989 . But it lacks the distinct marginal bead and the hypomeral foveae found in Synona . The female genitalia, particularly the coxites with conspicuous, stout and curved styli appear to be unique and the male genitalia with the penis lacking a median swelling and lateral flaps / wings are also atypical of Calvia . It is also similar to Coelophora . At present, it is not possible to place it in any known genus of Oriental Coccinellini .

Figures

FIGURE 43. Calvia tricolor Korschefsky: a. adult, dorsal view; b. adult, lateral view; c. adult, frontal view; d. head; e. prosternum; f. abdomen; g. abdominal postcoxal line.

FIGURE 44. Calvia tricolor Korschefsky: a–e. male genitalia: a. tegmen, ventral view; b. tegmen, lateral view; c. penis; d. penis apex, dorsal; e. penis apex, lateral; f. female genitalia; g. coxites; h, i. spermatheca.