Coccidula lepida LeConte, 1852

Szawaryn, Karol, Nedved, Oldrich, Biranvand, Amir, Czerwinski, Tomasz & Nattier, Romain, 2021, Revision of the genus Coccidula Kugelann (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae), ZooKeys 1043, pp. 61-85 : 61

Coccidula lepida LeConte, 1852 Figs 1C, D , 2A-E

Coccidula lepida LeConte, 1852: 132.

Coccidula occidentalis Horn, 1895: 114.

Coccidula suturalis Weise, 1895: 132.

Material examined.

United States of America: America b., 82, coll. Růžička et Vokál, (1: NMP) ; Alaska, Mi.1249, Alaska Hwy., Dedman Lk. , 6.-7.VII.1968, Campbell & Smetana (1: NMP) ; Vermont, Korschefsky det. (2: MIZ); Canada: SK, Harris Reservoir, Hwy 21, 10 km S, Maple Creek , April 19 2016, drift D. Larson (1 female: NMP). Type material not studied, deposited in Museum of Comparative Zoology , Cambridge , USA.

Diagnosis.

Coccidula lepida is the only Nearctic species of the genus, and is similar in many characters to C. scutellata , but with the head and epipleura black. In the typical form ( C. lepida described by LeConte), the black elytral pattern resembles an extension of the five fused black maculae on the elytra of C. scutellata , with shoulders and epipleura black. Shoulder tubercle distinct, prototum relatively narrow. Male genitalia with penis guide much shorter than parameres. Detailed description of morphology including variability in pattern can be found in Gordon (1985: 656-659).

Description.

Length = 2.7-3.5 mm, BL/BW = 1.88-1.96, EL/BW = 1.40-1.42, PW/BW = 0.73.

Body elongate (Fig. 1C ), slightly widening in posterior part. Head black. Elytra of typical form, light testaceous with black pattern covering scutellar shield and surrounding portion of elytra through shoulders to lateral margins, covering about 60% of its anterior part; pair of maculae in posterior 3/4 of elytra near suture; in western population fused and connected to scutellar shield over suture. Ventral side (Fig. 1D ) black with hypomera and ventrites 3-6 testaceous.

Head and pronotum covered with uniform small setiferous punctures arranged irregularly. Pronotum transverse, broadly rounded laterally, with lateral margin glabrous; pronotum covered with dense setiferous punctures. Posterior pronotal corners not produced (Fig. 2A ). Prosternum with anterior margin with bordering line complete. Prosternal process with complete lateral carinae, joined roundly and merged with anterior border of pronotum (Fig. 2B ).

Scutellar shield pentagonal, covered with dense setiferous punctures. Elytra (Fig. 2D ) covered with two types of punctures, small setiferous punctures irregularly distributed throughout the elytral surface, some of these punctures surrounded by larger depressed circles forming nine irregular longitudinal rows along the whole length of elytra. Shoulder tubercles distinct, but lateral elytral margin of elytra visible from above throughout. Mesoventrite (Fig. 2C ) with anterior border interrupted in median part. Metaventrite (Fig. 2C ) with postcoxal lines transverse in median part and then descending laterally, continuous on the metaventral process in median part; covered with setiferous punctures very sparsely distributed in central part of sclerite, densely setose in anterolateral parts, with a single row of large punctures below postcoxal lines and above metacoxae.

Abdominal postcoxal lines (Fig. 2E ) complete, widely rounded, reaching about half of the length of the ventrite 1 measured below metacoxa. Ventrites covered with dense setiferous punctures.

Male genitalia. Tegmen in inner view with penis guide subtriangular with pointed apex; short, about two times shorter than parameres. Parameres elongate elliptical, inner surface smooth, with long setae on the inner side and in apical margin. Penis simple with pointed apex. [see Gordon 1985: 657, fig. 539 a-d]

Female genitalia. Sperm duct long, much longer than length of spermatheca. Spermatheca vermiform, broadest in basal part. [see Gordon 1985: 657, fig. 539e]

Type locality.

Vermont (USA).

Distribution.

North part of North America.

Figures

Figure 1. Immature stages and habitus of adult species of Coccidula Kugelann A C. rufa larva B C. rufa pupa C C. lepida, dorsal D C. lepida, ventral E C. litophiloides F C. reitteri G C. rufa H C. scutellata A, B Gilles San Martin, Wikimedia Commons C, D Danny Haelewaters G, H Udo Schmidt. Scale bars: 1 mm (C-H).

Figure 2. Coccidula lepida LeConte SEM illustrations A pronotum B head and prothorax, ventral C meso and metaventrite D elytra dorsal E ventrite 1. Scale bars: 500 µm (A-C); 1 mm (E, D).