Protothea decemguttata (Hoang)

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 : 253

Protothea decemguttata (Hoang)

( Fig. 182e–g )

Nedina decemguttata Hoang, 1983a: 151 (Type locality: Vietnam).

Protothea decemguttata: Poorani & Ślipiński 2005: 329 .

Diagnosis. Length: 3.20 mm; width: 3.00 mm. Form almost circular, dorsum weakly convex, glabrous. Dorsal side yellowish with ten black spots on elytra arranged in a 2-2-1 pattern as illustrated ( Fig. 182e–g ). Underside yellowish except prosternal process dark brown, characteristically at a plane higher than rest of prosternum. Genitalia not studied.

Distribution. India (West Bengal (Darjeeling), Sikkim); Originally described from Vietnam.

Prey / Associated habitat. Not known.

Notes. Hoang (1983) described it from Vietnam under Nedina . Poorani & Ślipiński (2005) transferred it to Protothea . Protothea firma Weise , the type species of Protothea , was redescribed as having five spots on each elytron by Iablokoff-Khnzorian (1982) and it could be a synonym of P. decemguttata as it has a similar elytral pattern.

Figures

FIGURE 182. a–d. Protothea quadripunctata (Mulsant), polymorphic forms; e–g. Protothea decemguttata (Hoang) (ZSIK): e. dorsal view; f. lateral view; g. ventral view.