Calvia championorum Booth

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 : 54

Calvia championorum Booth

( Fig. 33a, b )

Calvia championorum Booth 1997: 931 (Holotype male, BMNH; Type locality: S Garhwal / Kumaon); Poorani 2002a: 323; Ren et al. 2009: 180.

Diagnosis. Length: 6.50–8.00 mm; width: 5.50–6.50 mm. Form elongate oval, dorsum only weakly convex and glabrous, sides of pronotum and elytra explanate. Dorsal side ( Fig. 33a, b ) dull yellow to brownish yellow, sometimes elytra with weak suggestion of paler longitudinal stripes, one adjacent to suture, one discal, one sublateral; pronotum with very weakly suggested browner M-shaped mark medially; underside and mouthparts, especially metasternum, slightly darker brownish-yellow, mesan-and metepisterna and epimera paler yellow than metaventrite; tarsal claws and apices of mandibles darker brown (from Booth 1997). Genitalia not studied.

Distribution. India: Uttarakhand (listed as Uttar Pradesh in Booth 1997); Bhutan; China.

Seasonal occurrence. Collected during June–September (label data).

Notes. It is externally similar to Calvia albida Bielawski , but the elytra of the former have a weak mottled pattern of small either slightly paler or slightly darker spots against the lime green (live specimens) or pale yellow (dead specimens) background colour and the prosternal process is convex, entirely lacking carinae (Booth 1997). It is also similar to C. flaveola , but the male genitalia are distinctive.

Figures

FIGURE 33. Calvia championorum Booth: a. paratype, dorsal view (BMNH); b. holotype male, dorsal view (BMNH).