Synonychimorpha immaculata Poorani, 2003

Poorani, J., 2003, A new species of the genus Synonychimorpha Miyatake (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) from South India, Zootaxa 212 (1), pp. 1-6 : 2

1. Synonychimorpha immaculata Poorani , sp.nov. ( Figs. 1, 3­9, 13 )

Description: Length 2.15­2.22 mm, width 2.02­2.10 mm. Form ( Fig. 1 ) subcircular, only slightly longer than broad and strongly convex. Dorsal and ventral sides uniformly orange yellow or yellowish testaceous. Head with sparse, thin silvery white pubescence and few coarse punctures, interspaces between punctures strongly reticulate. Antenna ( Fig. 3 ) 11­ segmented. Labrum ( Fig. 4 ) and labium ( Fig. 5 ) as illustrated. Terminal segment of maxillary palpus ( Fig. 6 ) elongate conical, its apex obliquely truncate. Pronotum with basal margin bisinuate, anterolateral corners rounded. Punctures on disk of pronotum very shallowly impressed, separated by 0.5­2 diameters on disk, progressively coarser and closer towards sides and anterolateral corners; interspaces between punctures weakly microreticulate. Elytra with lateral borders broadly and strongly explanate, externally grooved; punctures on disk dense, very close and even, more deeply impressed and finer than those on pronotum, separated by <0.5­2.0 diameters, coarser towards lateral margins; interspaces between punctures weakly alutaceous. Prosternal process ( Fig. 7 ) broad, quadrate, carinae subparallel and anteriorly convergent. Postcoxal line ( Fig. 8 ) on first abdominal sternite incomplete. Elytral epipleura ( Fig. 9 ) slightly depressed on level with hind legs. Female genitalia with genital plates ( Fig. 13 ) elongate triangular, spermatheca not conspicuous.

Specimens examined. Holotype, Female: Kerala: Chundale , 25.iv.2000, on Hibiscus rosasinensis infested with indeterminate scales, S. Ramani ( PDBC) . Paratype, Female: Karnataka: Padangadi, ~ 15km from Dharmasthala , 26.iv.2000, on sweeping vegetation, S . K . Rajeshwari ( PDBC) .

Distribution: South India (Karnataka; Kerala).

Remarks. This species is very similar in general appearance to the species of Jauravia most of which are reddish or yellowish testaceous and unicolorous without other external markings. It particularly resembles J. dorsalis ( Weise, 1908) which has explanate lateral margins, from which it can be separated by the lack of dense pubescence on dorsum and other generic characters. However, very sparse, short and suberect pubescence is present on the disk and lateral margins of elytra, which is not mentioned by Miyatake (1994). It is also similar to Sticholotis ferruginea ( Gorham, 1894) , another south Indian species (the typical form of which is uniformly reddish testaceous) and can be distinguished by the strongly and semicircularly rounded anterolateral corners of pronotum.

Figures

FIGURES 1­13. Details of Synonychimorpha Miyatake. 1. Synonychimorpha immaculata sp. nov., dorsal habitus; 2. Synonychimorpha chittagongi (Vazirani) comb.nov., dorsal habitus. Figs. 3­9. Synonychimorpha immaculata sp. nov. 3. Antenna; 4. Labrum; 5. Labium; 6. Maxilla; 7. Prosternal process; 8. First abdominal sternite, showing postcoxal line; 9. Elytral epipleuron; 10­12. Male genitalia of Synonychimorpha chittagongi: 10. Aedeagus, lateral view; 11. Aedeagus, ventral view; 12. Sipho. 13. Female genital plate of Synonychimorpha immaculata.