Sticholotis ruficeps Weise

Xingmin Wang, Hermes E. Escalona, Shunxiang Ren & Chen Xiaosheng, 2017, Taxonomic review of the ladybird genus Sticholotis from China (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Zootaxa 4326 (1), pp. 1-72 : 19-21

Sticholotis ruficeps Weise

( Figures 44–46 , 174–177 , 297 )

Sticholotis ruficeps Weise, 1902: 511 ; Bielawski, 1960: 44; Chapin, 1965: 245; Pang & Mao, 1979: 24; Hoàng, 1982: 89. Sticholotis madagassa Weise, 1909: 124 ; Chazeau et al., 1974: 266. Synonymized by Escalona & Ślipiński, 2010: 310. Mesopilo soufrierensis Duverger, 2001: 96 . Synonymized by Escalona & Ślipiński, 2010: 310.

Diagnosis. This species is similar to several species of Sticholotis with four large orange to red spots on elytra, but it can be easily distinguished by smaller body size, long and slender penis and tegmen ( Figs 175–177 ).

Description. TL: 1.6–2.1 mm, TW: 1.3–1.8 mm, TH: 0.9–1.2 mm, TL/TW: 1.12; PL/PW: 0.48; EL/EW: 0.90; HW/TW: 0.39; PW/TW: 0.64.

Head dark brown, with mouthparts yellowish brown. Pronotum and scutellum brown. Elytra predominantly dark brown, with narrow reddish brown lateral margin. Each elytron with two dark red spots: anterior spot very large, situated at elytral base (touching margin), posterior just before elytral apex, rounded and smaller than anterior ( Figs 44–46 ). Underside reddish brown. Legs yellowish brown.

Body almost circular in outline, hemispherical, shiny and glabrous. Head frontal punctures fine and densely distributed, 0.8–1.2 diameters apart, with scattered short setae, interocular distance of eyes 0.58x head width ( Fig. 46 ).

Pronotal punctures fine and densely distributed, similar to those on head, 1.0–2.0 diameters apart. Elytral punctures very fine and sparse, distinctly smaller than those on pronotum, 3.0–5.0 diameters apart. Elytral margins narrowly explanate, entirely visible from above.

Prosternal punctures inconspicuous, with long sparse setae. Mesoventral surface mat and slightly shagreened, punctures large. Central disc of metavental covered by large punctures. Elytral epipleuron broad and complete to apex, foveate to accommodate femoral tips of hind legs. Wings well-developed.

Male genitalia: Penis long and slender, strongly curved at basal half, capsule broadening basally and with a small inner process ( Fig. 175 ); tegmen with penis guide almost equal to paramere length, in lateral view thin and slender, apex pointed ( Fig. 176 ); penis guide in ventral view subparallel to 7/8, then narrowing to apex, apex rounded ( Fig. 177 ); parameres slender, with short setae apically.

Female genitalia: Ovipositor elongate, styli highly reduced, each with several long terminal setae.

Specimens examined. China, Hainan: 1male, Haikou , [20°1.86′N, 110°20.27′E], ca 10m, 6.viii.1989, Ou ZJ leg. ( SCAU) ; 1female, Nada , [19°32.24′N, 109°29.43′E], ca 100m, 8.xi.1989, Ren SX leg. ( SCAU) ; 1female, Tongshi , [18°47.07′N, 109°31.97′E], ca 700m, viii.1995, Peng ZQ leg. ( SCAU); Yunnan: 1male, 1female, Mengla, [21°30.27′N, 101°31.65′E], ca 800m, 13.ix.1993, Xiao NN leg. ( SCAU).

Distribution. China: Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan; Guadeloupe; Mariana Islands; USA; Mascarene and Mauritius; Australia; Madagascar; France; Vietnam; Malaysia; Singapore; Indonesia and Micronesia.

Comments. Larva and biology of this species were described by Escalona & Ślipiński (2010). This species (misidentified as S. punctata ) was introduced to Hawaii from China and Japan to control the scale Eriococcus araucariae Maskell, 1879 (Erioccocidae) and Pinnaspis buxi (Bouche, 1851) (Diaspididae) ( Leeper, 1976). It was also recorded (as S. madagassa ) as a predator of the sugarcane scale Aulacaspis tegalensis (Zehntner, 1898) (Diaspididae) in Mauritius ( Réunion Islands) and Tanzania ( Williams and Greathead 1990; Chazeau et al. 1974). It has also been used to control other scale pests like Melanaspis glomerata Green (Diaspididae) in India ( Singh 2004, Birthal and Sharma 2004), the pineapple mealybug Dysmicoccus spp. ( Pseudococcidae ) in Hawaii, USA ( González-Hernández et al. 1999) and the scale insect Pseudaulacaspis spp. ( Diaspididae ) ( Frank and McCoy 1993).

Figures

FIGURE 297. Distribution map. S. taiwanensis Miyatake, 1982 (▲); S. wenchangia sp. nov. (■); S. petila Yu et Pang, 1993 (●); S. ruficeps Weise, 1902 ().

FIGURES 38 – 46. 38 – 40: S. wenchangia sp. nov. (38) dorsal habitus; (39) lateral habitus; (40) frontal habitus. 41 – 43: S. petila Yu et Pang, 1993. (41) dorsal habitus; (42) lateral habitus; (43) frontal habitus. 44 – 46: S. ruficeps Weise, 1902. (44) dorsal habitus; (45) lateral habitus; (46) frontal habitus. Scale bars: 0.5 mm.

FIGURES 169 – 177. 169 – 173: S. petila Yu et Pang, 1993 (Holotype). (169) abdomen; (170 – 172) male genitalia: (170) apex of penis; (171) penis; (172) tegmen, lateral view; (173) ovipositor. 174 – 177: S. ruficeps Weise, 1902. (174) abdomen; (175 – 177) male genitalia: (175) penis; (176) tegmen, lateral view; (177) tegmen, ventral view. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.