Protoplotina ambigua Poorani

Poorani, J., Větrovec, Jaroslav & Szawaryn, Karol, 2025, A review of Indian Plotinini (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) including description of a new species, Zootaxa 5711 (4), pp. 451-481 : 472-474

Protoplotina ambigua Poorani

( Figs 15–17 )

Protoplotina ambigua Poorani , in Poorani et al. 2021: 256 .

Diagnosis. Length: 0.85–1.24 mm; width: 0.62–0.85 mm, Form elongate oval, broadest around middle of elytra; dorsum apparently glabrous, but head and pronotum with distinct, short, procumbent setae directed forwards, elytra with much shorter, erect setae sparsely distributed on discal area and lateral margins ( Fig. 15a–d ), setae on lateral margins more clearly apparent than those on discal area, elytral apices with distinctly more conspicuous and denser pubescence comprising short, semi-erect, or adpressed setae. Head and pronotum yellowish to testaceous; elytra dark brown to paler brown, elytral pattern variable as illustrated ( Fig. 15a–d ), each elytron with an ill-defined, dull reddish median macula ( Fig. 15c, d ) or with a pair of transverse, narrow, yellowish bands across middle ( Fig. 15a, b ), these bands sometimes medially joined to form a single transverse stripe, or often much reduced and narrow, not touching either suture or lateral margin; basal and lateral margins also paler yellowish in such examples ( Fig. 16a– d ). Ventral side yellow or yellowish brown or dark brown except legs, antennae, maxillae and mouthparts lighter, yellowish. Abdominal postcoxal lines extremely variable, distinctly angular and complete ( Fig. 17g ) or incomplete, running parallel to posterior margin of ventrite 1 with an associate line ( Figs. 17b, d–f ), associate line shows the following variations: occasionally shorter and apically slightly curved inwards ( Figs. 17b, e ) (or) short and straight, not approaching the lateral line ( Fig. 17d ) (or) longer and straight, closely approaching but not touching the lateral line ( Fig. 17f ); rarely abdominal postcoxal lines on either side asymmetrical and differently shaped. Male genitalia ( Figs. 17h–j ), female genitalia with coxites elongate triangular ( Fig. 17k ), spermatheca ( Fig. 17l, m ) as illustrated, infundibulum elongate tubular.

Immature stages. See Figure 2 . Distribution. India: Tamil Nadu. Biology. Predatory on Jack Beardsley mealybug, Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi Gimpel & Miller on guava

( Psidium guajava L.); associated with mealybugs and whiteflies infesting guava; collected on Indian gooseberry

( Phyllanthus emblica L.) ( Poorani et al. 2021).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Immature stages of Protoplotina ambigua Poorani: a, b. egg; c, d. larva; e, f. pupa; g, h. adult.

FIGURE 15. Protoplotina ambigua Poorani: a–d. elytral pattern variations.

FIGURE 16. Protoplotina ambigua Poorani: a–d. variants, lateral view.

FIGURE 17. Diagnostic features of Protoplotina ambigua Poorani: a. head; b. abdomen, male; c. terminal ventrite, female; d–g. abdominal postcoxal line, variations; h–j. male genitalia: h. tegmen, lateral view; i. tegmen, inner view; j. penis; k. female genitalia; m, l. spermatheca.