Afissa gibbera ( Crotch, 1874 )

Das, Priyanka, Chandra, Kailash & Gupta, Devanshu, 2020, Redescription of Afissa gibbera (Crotch, 1874) and Uniparodentata circummaculata (Pang & Mao, 1977) (Coccinellidae: Epilachnini) from India, Zootaxa 4822 (2), pp. 248-256 : 249-252

Afissa gibbera ( Crotch, 1874)

( Figs. 1–10 )

Epilachna gibbera Crotch, 1874: 80 (description); Canepari 1986: 29; Kovář 2007: 627; Poorani 2003: 40.

Epilachna (Solanophila) gibbera: Korschefsky 1931: 29 .

Afissa gibbera: Kapur 1963: 10 , fig. 1C (female habitus).

Epilachna gibbera: Jadwiszczak & Węgrzynowicz 2003: 69 .

Afissa gibbera: Das et al. 2020: 38 , fig. 33 (male habitus).

Type locality. India . Type depository. CUMZ ( Jadwiszczak & Węgrzynowicz 2003) .

Material examined. India: Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang, Camp , Stn. No., 14.xii.1985, 1 male, leg. S.K.B. & ANTJ [ NZSI] ; West Bengal, Darjeeling , 2,180 m, vi.1961, 3 males; 1 female, leg. G. Scherer [ NZSI] .

Redescription (male). Length 6.2 mm; width 4.9 mm; TL/EW=1.25; PL/PW=0.47; PL/EL=0.25; PW/EW= 0.58; EL/EW=1.06.

Body elongate, oval, convex. Dorsum pubescent. Head and mouthparts brown. Mid pronotum black with orange collateral maculae on either side ( Fig. 3 ). Scutellar shield black ( Figs. 1, 3 ).

Elytron with seven orange spots, arranged as follows: 1, 3, 2, 1; first close to scutellar shield, second near the elytral margin at one-third of its length, two spots joined medially forming circumflex, two next present diagonally at three-fourth of the elytral length, and the last one at the elytral apex ( Figs. 1, 2 ). Ventral side black with abdominal ventrites partially yellow at lateral margins. Last abdominal ventrite entirely yellowish ( Fig. 4 ).

Head exposed dorsally. Interocular distance broad, more than 4 times as wide as eye diameter ( Fig. 3 ). Ventral and dorsal antennal groves absent. Antennae longer than length of head, consisting of 11 antennomeres, antennomeres 3–8 elongate, three apical antennomeres forming an asymmetrical club. Labrum transverse, weakly emarginate at apex.

Pronotum transverse, about twice as broad as long, lateral edge smooth, submarginal carina absent, prothoracic hypomeron smooth. Mesoventrite with anterior edge weakly emarginate, with smooth mesoventral process; mesometaventral suture visible, straight. Metaventral postcoxal lines joined on metaventral process forming a straight line, complete laterally and recurved. Scutellar shield triangular, about as broad as long. Elytral punctation fine and coarse mixed, elytral margins invisible from above ( Fig. 1 ). Elytral epipleuron narrow, incomplete at apex, without foveae for receiving tips of femora, borderline of inner margin ceased before the base of elytron.

Legs long and slender with apices of mid and hind femora extending from outer margin of elytral epipleuron. Coxae simple. Fore and mid trochanters angulate with weak cavities on their inner surfaces for holding tip of tibiae. Mid and hind femora simple along inner edge; mid and hind tibiae without carina on outer edge. Tibial spur formula: 1-2-2. Tarsal claws double, smooth at base.

Abdomen with six ventrites ( Fig. 4 ). Abdominal postcoxal lines recurved roundly but incomplete, without additional line ( Fig. 4 ). Apical margin of ventrite 5 truncate; ventrite 6 rounded, emarginate ( Fig. 5 ); apodeme of male sternum IX rod-like, thin. Tergite X large, transverse, truncate at apex ( Fig. 10 ).

Male genitalia ( Figs. 7–10 ). Basal piece devoid of spines, penis guide symmetrical, slightly longer than parameres, very broad, broadening from base to apex, leaf-like, suddenly narrowing at apex to a pointed process, excised ( Figs. 7, 8 ). Parameres well developed, apically simple, covered with hairs ( Figs. 7, 8 ). Penis long, broad, with membranous apical process; penis base with both arms reduced ( Fig. 9 ).

Sexual dimorphism. Female similar to male except apical margin of ventrite 5 truncate, ventrite 6 arcuate, and female genitalia with coxites triangular, elongate, longer than wide, outer edge free, with one long seta on each stylus ( Fig. 6 ).

Distribution. India: Arunachal Pradesh (Tawang), Sikkim, West Bengal (Darjeeling; this paper); Nepal ( Kapur 1963; Canepari 1986; Miyatake 1967; Das et al. 2020).

Remarks. Crotch (1874) described this species based on the colour pattern and the number of spots on each elytron without giving the precise location in India. Later Kapur (1963) reported this species from Sikkim, based on a female specimen, but with a concise description. Recently, Das et al. (2020) reported this species from Arunachal Pradesh and provided the habitus of the male. A. gibbera in external appearance, with its black elytra and orange maculae, is similar to A. craspedotricha ( Yu, 2004) and A. parvula ( Crotch, 1874) ( Ren et al. 2009; Tomaszewska & Szawaryn 2016). However, it has four maculae in a row near the elytral suture whereas in A. craspedotricha , and A. parvula there are three. The male genitalia of A. gibbera resembles those of A. microgenitalia ( Li, 1961 in Li & Cook 1961) described initially from Taiwan ( Li & Cook 1961) and subsequently reported from mainland China ( Pang et al. 2012) with its small size compared to the size of the body, stout penis guide about as long as parameres, with pointed apex. However, A. gibbera can be separated from A. microgenitalia by the shape of the penis guide being much broader and widening toward membranous penis apex.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Afissa gibbera (Crotch, 1874), male: 1, habitus, dorsal view; 2, habitus, lateral view; 3, head and pronotum, frontal view; 4, abdomen; 5, ventrite 6; 6, abdomen, female.

FIGURES 7–10. Afissa gibbera (Crotch, 1874), male: 7, tegmen, inner; 8, tegmen, lateral; 9, penis, lateral; 10, abdominal segment IX and X.