Harmonia andamanensis Poorani, 2023

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 : 124-126

Harmonia andamanensis Poorani , sp. n.

( Figs 85 , 199 )

Diagnosis. Harmonia andamanensis sp. n. can be separated from its Indian congeners by its dull straw yellow body with very pale elytral maculae and the male genitalia. It has a superficial similarity to old specimens of H. octomaculata but can be separated by the very pale elytral maculae. The male genitalia of H. andamanensis sp. n., particularly the penis guide in ventral view ( Fig. 199g ) is similar to that of Harmonia nigromarginata Bielawski, 1968 and H. novaehebridensis Korschefsky, 1943 (both Australo-Pacific species, illustrated in Ślipiński et al. 2020) but the apical stem of penis guide is distinctly shorter, wider and angulate in H. nigromarginata and distinctly more elongate and angulate in H. novaehebridensis . Besides, the infundibulum in the female genitalia of H. novaehebridensis is distinctly longer, narrower and curved and the spermatheca is differently shaped in H. nigromarginata . The elytral pattern in these two Australo-Pacific species is also distinctly different from that of H. andamanensis sp. n.

Description. Length: 4.20 mm; width: 3.50 mm. Form elongate oval, dorsum strongly convex and glabrous. Ground colour in museum specimens dull straw yellow to yellow, pronotum with a roughly M-shaped median macula, often indistinct to obsolete, elytral pattern as illustrated, each elytron consisting of two dorsal and two lateral maculae enclosing a larger, roughly comma-shaped macula ( Figs 85a, b ; 199a, b ). Ventral side yellow. Head with inner margins of eyes strongly divergent; interspaces between punctures with reticulate microsculpture. Antenna compact, terminal antennomere greatly transverse. Pronotum densely punctate, punctures separated by 1–3 diameters, interspaces with reticulate microsculpture. Elytral punctures on disc finer, more widely separated and more shallowly impressed than those on pronotum, lateral sides with coarser and more deeply impressed punctures; interspaces somewhat alutaceous to smooth. Prosternal carinae subparallel, reaching beyond anterior margin of coxal cavity. Mesoventrite anteriorly very shallowly emarginate. Tarsal claws appendiculate. Abdominal postcoxal lines ( Fig. 85e ) incomplete, recurved and apically merged with a strongly curved, angulate associated line. Ventrite 5 and 6 posteriorly gently emarginate in male ( Fig. 199c ), distinctly arcuate in female ( Fig. 199d ). Male genitalia ( Fig. 199f–i ) as illustrated, penis guide in lateral view ( Fig. 199f ) shorter than parameres, parameres basally widest and strongly curved medially, densely setose; penis guide in ventral view ( Fig. 199g ) distinctly shorter than parameres, roughly goblet shaped, gradually narrowed from the base to a short stem, posteriorly rounded; penis ( Fig. 199h ) strongly curved with a distinct capsule, penis apex ( Fig. 199i ) modified as illustrated. Female genitalia ( Fig. 85f ) and spermatheca ( Figs 85g , 199e ) as illustrated.

Material examined. Holotype, female: “ INDIA: Andaman & Nicobar, North Andaman : Diglipur, 13°14’53.9” N 92°58’37.5” E, 15 mts, 23.iv.2014, Light trap, Yeshwanth, H.M.” ( NCBS) ; Paratypes: One female, “South Andaman Before 1999” ( NBAIR); One male, “ S. Andaman, Chidyatapu, Canopy, 5.i.2001 ” ( NBAIR) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is in reference to its type locality, the Andamans.

Distribution. India: Endemic to Andaman Islands.

Associated habitat. Attracted to light (label data).

Notes. This appears to be the species mentioned as Harmonia sp. from South Andaman by Veenakumari & Mohanraj (2007). It was identified by Booth (1993) as ‘’an undescribed species that is probably endemic to these islands”. The description given here is based on two females and one male collected from Andamans. It is unique and does not match any of the Australo-Pacific and Indian species of Harmonia known at present.

Figures

FIGURE 85. Harmonia andamanensis Poorani, sp. n.: a. adult, dorsal view; b. adult, lateral view; c. adult, frontal view; d. abdomen, female; e. abdominal postcoxal line; f. female genitalia; g. spermatheca.

FIGURE 199. Harmonia andamanensis sp. n.: a. adult female, dorsal view; b. adult male, dorsal view; c. apical abdominal ventrites, male; d. apical abdominal ventrites, female; e. spermatheca; f–i. male genitalia: f. tegmen, lateral view; g. tegmen, ventral view; h. penis; i. penis apex.