Rhynchortalia Crotch, 1874

Poorani, J. & Ślipiński, Adam, 2010, A review of Rhynchortalia Crotch (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Ortaliinae), Zootaxa 2423 (1), pp. 25-43 : 26-27

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.2423.1.2
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03D487A3-FFBB-376F-7DB3-4F754753F9B9
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Rhynchortalia Crotch
status

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Rhynchortalia Crotch

( Figs. 1–79 View FIGURES 1–12 View FIGURES 13–17 View FIGURES 18–29 View FIGURES 30–56 View FIGURES 57–76 View FIGURES 77–79 )

Rhynchortalia Crotch, 1874: 278 . Type species: Rhynchortalia insueta Crotch, 1874 , by original designation.

Diagnosis: Form elongate oval ( Figs. 1–12 View FIGURES 1–12 ), rarely short oval; dorsum weakly to moderately convex, covered with dense pubescence. Head ( Fig. 13, 14 View FIGURES 13–17 ) dorsally not covered by pronotum, narrowing anteriorly with an elongate labrum, appearing rostrate ( Fig. 13 View FIGURES 13–17 ), rarely indistinctly rostrate ( Fig. 14 View FIGURES 13–17 ) with frons wider; eyes prominent, finely faceted, with short, indistinct interfacetal setae, appearing bare; inner eye margin usually lenticular or emarginate below antennal insertion. Antenna ( Fig. 13 View FIGURES 13–17 ) inserted dorsally or dorsolaterally in front of eyes, 11–segmented, slender, slightly shorter than head capsule length, club 3–segmented. Maxillary palpi ( Fig. 13 View FIGURES 13–17 ) somewhat geniculate, terminal palpomere elongate, cylindrical, parallel sided with apical margin obliquely transverse. Prosternum short anterior to coxae, straight; prosternal process narrow, prominent between distinctly conical, transverse procoxae, carinae absent. Pronotal hypomeron ( Fig. 16 View FIGURES 13–17 ) usually with a lobe-like or obtriangular shelf–like projection on anterior half, its anterior edge often projecting beyond anterior beyond anterior / anterolateral corner of pronotum and dorsally visible, posteriorly extending obliquely towards procoxal cavity, with a depression beneath posterior / posterolateral margin; hypomera rarely without prominent shelf, i.e. deeply foveate anteriorly with a faintly raised posterior margin around middle. Mesoventrite elongate, anteriorly faintly or shallowly emarginate. Metaventral postcoxal lines distant from coxae and weakly recurved. Metaventrite unusually strongly convex, with complete discrimen. Elytral epipleurae broad, apically incomplete, lacking foveae. Legs usually long ( Fig. 12 View FIGURES 1–12 ), apices of metafemora extending significantly beyond outer margins of elytra (although occasionally in some females not noticeably elongate), tibiae lacking apical spurs; tarsal claws ( Fig. 15 View FIGURES 13–17 ) bifid in both sexes. Abdomen with six visible ventrites in both sexes, ventrite 1 with postcoxal lines extremely shallow to apparently absent, closely associated with edge of coxal cavity; ventrites 5 and 6 usually strongly modified in males ( Figs. 19–23, 26– 29 View FIGURES 18–29 ), often with elongate, dense pubescence on margins, apically deeply emarginate in most cases, rarely simply emarginate ( Figs. 18, 24, 25 View FIGURES 18–29 ); tergite 10 prominent, projecting outside and in close proximity with the last visible ventrite, forming a shield–like covering over the abdominal apex. Male genitalia ( Figs. 30–76 View FIGURES 30–56 View FIGURES 57–76 ) rather uniform with elongate, often broad parameres, parameres setose on lateral and inner margins, penis guide (= median lobe) cylindrical, apically triangular–conical; penis (= sipho) rather uniform but apex modified and diagnostic for species. Female genitalia ( Figs. 77–79 View FIGURES 77–79 ) with coxites rod–like ( Fig. 77 View FIGURES 77–79 ), heavily sclerotized, styli strongly reduced and scarcely visible, infundibulum absent, sperm duct simple, uniform in diameter, spermatheca ( Fig. 79 View FIGURES 77–79 ) distinctly curved, accessory gland distinctly separated from sperm duct.

Other similar genera: Rhynchortalia closely resembles Cryptolaemus Mulsant (1853) , particularly the iridescent species belonging to the subviolaceus –group (Booth & Pope, 1986) and several undescribed species from New Guinea and nearby islands. In both Rhynchortalia and iridescent species of Cryptolaemus , the pronotal hypomeron usually has a shelf–like projection on the anterior inner half. In Rhynchortalia , the anterior edge of the hypomeral shelf often projects beyond the rounded anterolateral corners of the pronotum and is dorsally visible, making this a useful character in differentiating some species. In Cryptolaemus , even in those species with a highly modified hypomeral shelf, the shelf is not usually dorsally visible (although clearly visible when viewed from above). In both Rhynchortalia and Cryptolaemus , the last two visible ventrites in males are often highly modified with long marginal pubescence and the extent and shape of the apical emargination is useful in separating species. Males of iridescent Cryptolaemus species also have a prominent tergite 10 in close apposition with the last visible ventrite forming a shield at the abdominal apex as in Rhynchortalia . In Cryptolaemus , the head is not rostrate as in Rhynchortalia , although rarely it is not markedly rostrate in Rhynchortalia itself; however, the frons is wider and eyes are smaller in such cases. Tarsal claws in both sexes are bifid in Rhynchortalia unlike most of the iridescent Cryptolaemus species , which have unusual, asymmetrical claws in males. The female genitalia are uniform across the genus and not of diagnostic value, but the spermatheca resembles that of Cryptolaemus .

Among the other Ortaliini genera, Ortalia Mulsant (1850) is also similar to Rhynchortalia in possessing a hypognathous head, bifid tarsal claws in both sexes, and a short straight prosternum with narrow prosternal process. However, most Ortalia species have distinctly larger, prominent and densely setose eyes with a distinct post–antennal canthus or emargination, carinate prosternal process, distinct but incomplete abdominal postcoxal lines (as in Sasajiscymnus Vandenberg, 2004 ), and the male genitalia often have an asymmetrical penis guide and highly modified penis.

Many species of Apolinus and Scymnodes also are similar to Rhynchortalia and both genera can be separated from Rhynchortalia by the non-rostrate head, prominent prosternal intercoxal process with carinae, complete abdominal postcoxal lines and sexually dimorphic tarsal claws. Several species of Rhynchortalia , Cryptolaemus , Scymnodes and Apolinus from New Guinea and nearby islands have a similar external appearance with elytra brilliantly iridescent blue or violet or greenish with lighter apices and dual punctures more deeply impressed on the lateral sides.

Immature stages: Unknown.

Biology: Little is known about the biology of this genus. Adults have been collected in June and July, during the dry season, along rainforest edges in Australia (Ślipiṅski, 2007).