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
Genus
Singhikalia
Kapur
Singhikalia
Kapur, 1963a: 16
.
Type
species:
Singhikalia ornata
Kapur, 1963a: 17
, by original designation.
Diagnosis.
Form broad oval, dorsum convex and densely pubescent. General appearance with red and black coloration and dorsal pubescence suggestive of
Epilachnini
. Lateral antennal insertions much closer to the eyes. Mandibles apically bifid. Labial terminal palpomere about as broad as penultimate one. Mesoventrite anteriorly strongly emarginate medially. Elytral lateral margins without marginal bead. Middle and hind tibia without apical spurs. Hind margin of ventrite
5 in
female sinuate and produced medially backwards. Tarsal claws appendiculate. Male genitalia with penis having more than one sclerite that are distinctly separated by a membrane. Infundibulum in the form of at least lightly sclerotized piece of bursa at origin of sperm duct.
Distribution.
India
,
China
,
Pakistan
.
FIGURE 185.
Psyllobora bisoctonotata
(Mulsant)
, life stages: a. eggs; b. larva; c, d. pupa; e–j. adult.
Affinities.
Singhikalia
is most unusual in
Coccinellini
because it is the only genus of the Indian region with distinct dorsal pubescence and outwardly resembles members of the tribe
Epilachnini
. It probably mimics members of
Epilachnini
because “both are often found in the same series in museum collections, suggesting that they may co-occur in the same area and host plants” (Escalona
et al
. 2017). Only
Subepilachna
Bielawski, 1963b
, a genus endemic to
Papua New Guinea
, is comparable to
Singhikalia
in the tribe
Coccinellini
in having dorsal pubescence and it was synonymized with
Singhikalia
by Jadwiszczak (1990). However,
Ślipiński
et al
. (2020)
recognized both as valid genera on the basis of “pronounced differences in the male and female terminalia and external morphology”.
Included species.
Two species are known from the Indian subcontinent-
Singhikalia ornata
Kapur
, the
type
species, and
S. duodecimguttata
Xiao
(newly recorded from
Pakistan
here).