Curinus coeruleus (Mulsant)

POORANI, J., 2023, An illustrated guide to the lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the Indian Subcontinent. Part II. Tribe Chilocorini, Zootaxa 5378 (1), pp. 1-108 : 73

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5378.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:68976F75-EC46-480B-AB8A-061B1441A958
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11067938
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C44153-FFE4-FFE5-FF77-FF00FDC8FAA4
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Curinus coeruleus (Mulsant)
status

Treatment

( Figs 53–56 View FIGURE 53 View FIGURE 54 View FIGURE 55 View FIGURE 56 )

Orcus (Curinus) coeruleus Mulsant, 1850: 472 .

Curinus coeruleus : Crotch 1874: 190; Korschefsky Male genitalia ( Fig. 49c–g View FIGURE 49 ) as illustrated 1932: 252; Chapin 1965: 244; Poorani 2002: 312.

Diagnosis. Length: 4.90–5.20 mm; width: 4.50–4.75 mm. Form ( Fig. 53a View FIGURE 53 , 55i View FIGURE 55 ) round in male, broadly oval and slightly more elongate in female, dorsum hemispherical and strongly convex. Head partly orange yellow in male and dark pitchy brown to black in female. Pronotum dark purplish blue except anterolateral flanks bright orange-yellow or reddish-orange. Elytra uniformly dark metallic bluish to purplish blue. Ventral side orange yellow except median part of prosternum, meso- and metasterna dark brown to black; elytral epipleura darker. Abdomen with five and six visible ventrites in female and male, respectively; fifth medially deeply emarginate in male and narrowly arcuate in female. Male genitalia ( Figs 53g –i View FIGURE 53 , 54 View FIGURE 54 e-h) as illustrated. Female genitalia ( Fig. 54i View FIGURE 54 ) with elongate triangular coxites; infundibulum present ( Fig. 54i, j View FIGURE 54 ); spermatheca ( Figs 53f View FIGURE 53 , 54k View FIGURE 54 ) as illustrated.

Life stages. Life stages as illustrated ( Figs 55 View FIGURE 55 , 56 View FIGURE 56 ).

Distribution. It is a native of South America and was introduced in India from Thailand in 1988 ( Jalali & Singh 1989b) and also in Indonesia, Hawaii, and the Philippines, for controlling the subabul psyllid, Heteropsylla cubana Crawford ( Hemiptera : Psyllidae ). It has permanently established in southern India, but appears to be more common in cooler conditions. Recorded as an adventive species in Florida, USA.

Prey/associated habitat. Collected in large numbers on subabul ( Leucaena leucocephala ), an economically important forage and fodder legume crop. Occasionally found resting on other vegetation near subabul (label data). Hemiptera : Aleyrodidae : Aleurodicus dispersus Russell , Aleurothrixus sp. Aphididae : Ceratovacuna lanigera Zehntner. Pseudococcidae : Coccidohystrix insolita (Green) , Dysmicoccus neobrevipes Beardsley , Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell) , Nipaecoccus nipae (Maskell) . Psyllidae : Heteropsylla cubana Crawford. Thysanoptera : Thrips palmi Karny. Ferrisia virgata can be used as a laboratory host in summer when the psyllid population on subabul declines in nature ( Joshi et al. 2001 a).

Seasonal occurrence. Active throughout the year except summer months in and around Bangalore. Particularly abundant during July–November.

Notes. It is the only introduced species of Chilocorini now permanently established in South India as a natural regulating factor of the exotic subabul psyllid. See the following works for more information on its bioecology: Ide et al. 2000 (description of larva & pupa); Jalali & Singh 1989b, 1992, 1993 (biology, feeding potential, life table studies from India); Diraviam & Viraktamath 1990, 1993 (population dynamics, toxicity of insecticides); Joshi et al. 2001 a (rearing on alternative host).