An illustrated guide to lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the Indian Subcontinent. Part 1. Tribe Coccinellini
Author
POORANI, J.
text
Zootaxa
2023
2023-08-18
5332
1
1
307
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5332.1.1
journal article
264199
10.11646/zootaxa.5332.1.1
66e0ec51-d494-43d4-965e-a2cd1462ef54
1175-5326
8261502
424F7439-4095-46A5-93E3-C4130E3B6D9A
Harmonia andamanensis
Poorani
,
sp. n.
(
Figs 85
,
199
)
Diagnosis.
Harmonia andamanensis
sp. n.
can be separated from its Indian congeners by its dull straw yellow body with very pale elytral maculae and the male genitalia. It has a superficial similarity to old specimens of
H. octomaculata
but can be separated by the very pale elytral maculae. The male genitalia of
H. andamanensis
sp. n.
, particularly the penis guide in ventral view (
Fig.
199g
) is similar to that of
Harmonia nigromarginata
Bielawski, 1968
and
H. novaehebridensis
Korschefsky, 1943
(both Australo-Pacific species, illustrated in
Ślipiński
et al
. 2020
) but the apical stem of penis guide is distinctly shorter, wider and angulate in
H. nigromarginata
and distinctly more elongate and angulate in
H. novaehebridensis
.
Besides, the infundibulum in the female genitalia of
H. novaehebridensis
is distinctly longer, narrower and curved and the spermatheca is differently shaped in
H. nigromarginata
. The elytral pattern in these two Australo-Pacific species is also distinctly different from that of
H. andamanensis
sp. n.
Description.
Length:
4.20 mm
; width:
3.50 mm
. Form elongate oval, dorsum strongly convex and glabrous. Ground colour in museum specimens dull straw yellow to yellow, pronotum with a roughly M-shaped median macula, often indistinct to obsolete, elytral pattern as illustrated, each elytron consisting of two dorsal and two lateral maculae enclosing a larger, roughly comma-shaped macula (
Figs 85a, b
;
199a, b
). Ventral side yellow. Head with inner margins of eyes strongly divergent; interspaces between punctures with reticulate microsculpture. Antenna compact, terminal antennomere greatly transverse. Pronotum densely punctate, punctures separated by 1–3 diameters, interspaces with reticulate microsculpture. Elytral punctures on disc finer, more widely separated and more shallowly impressed than those on pronotum, lateral sides with coarser and more deeply impressed punctures; interspaces somewhat alutaceous to smooth. Prosternal carinae subparallel, reaching beyond anterior margin of coxal cavity. Mesoventrite anteriorly very shallowly emarginate. Tarsal claws appendiculate. Abdominal postcoxal lines (
Fig. 85e
) incomplete, recurved and apically merged with a strongly curved, angulate associated line. Ventrite 5 and 6 posteriorly gently emarginate in male (
Fig. 199c
), distinctly arcuate in female (
Fig. 199d
). Male genitalia (
Fig. 199f–i
) as illustrated, penis guide in lateral view (
Fig. 199f
) shorter than parameres, parameres basally widest and strongly curved medially, densely setose; penis guide in ventral view (
Fig.
199g
) distinctly shorter than parameres, roughly goblet shaped, gradually narrowed from the base to a short stem, posteriorly rounded; penis (
Fig. 199h
) strongly curved with a distinct capsule, penis apex (
Fig. 199i
) modified as illustrated. Female genitalia (
Fig. 85f
) and spermatheca (
Figs
85g
,
199e
) as illustrated.
Material examined.
Holotype
, female: “
INDIA
: Andaman & Nicobar,
North Andaman
: Diglipur,
13°14’53.9” N
92°58’37.5” E
, 15 mts,
23.iv.2014
,
Light trap
, Yeshwanth, H.M.” (
NCBS
)
;
Paratypes
:
One
female, “South Andaman Before 1999” (
NBAIR
); One male, “
S. Andaman
, Chidyatapu, Canopy,
5.i.2001
” (
NBAIR
)
.
FIGURE 85.
Harmonia andamanensis
Poorani
,
sp. n.
: a. adult, dorsal view; b. adult, lateral view; c. adult, frontal view; d. abdomen, female; e. abdominal postcoxal line; f. female genitalia; g. spermatheca.
Etymology.
The specific epithet is in reference to its
type
locality, the Andamans.
Distribution.
India
: Endemic to Andaman Islands.
Associated habitat.
Attracted to light (label data).
Notes.
This appears to be the species mentioned as
Harmonia
sp.
from South Andaman by
Veenakumari & Mohanraj (2007)
. It was identified by Booth (1993) as ‘’an undescribed species that is probably endemic to these islands”. The description given here is based on
two females
and
one male
collected from Andamans. It is unique and does not match any of the Australo-Pacific and Indian species of
Harmonia
known at present.