Parexochomus nigripennis (Erichson)

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 : 75-79

Parexochomus nigripennis (Erichson)

( Figs 57 , 58 )

Chilocorus nigripennis Erichson, 1843: 267 .

Exochomus nigromaculatus var. nigripennis : Crotch 1874: 192.

Exochomus flavipes ab. nigripennis : Korschefsky 1932: 255.

Exochomus nigripennis : Poorani 2002: 313.

Parexochomus nigripennis : Biranvand et al. 2017: 57 .

Exochomus xanthoderus Fairmaire, 1864: 648 .— Biranvand et al. 2017: 57.

Diagnosis. Length: 3.50–4.50 mm; width: 2.60–3.50 mm. Form oval, dorsum moderately strongly convex and glabrous. Head and pronotum yellowish, elytra uniformly black, shiny ( Figs 57a–c , 58a ). Ventral side more or less uniformly yellowish brown. Abdominal postcoxal line nearly complete ( Fig. 58b, c ). Male genitalia ( Figs 57d–g , 58d–g ) as illustrated. Female genitalia ( Fig. 57h ) with elongate triangular coxites, infundibulum present; spermatheca ( Figs 57i, h , 58h ) as illustrated.

Distribution. India (New Delhi; north-western region); Pakistan (North West Frontier Province; Punjab; Sindh; widely distributed in the forests of northern Pakistan ( Irshad 2001)); Afghanistan; Afrotropical and Mediterranean regions; Middle East; Africa.

Prey/associated habitat. Dactylopius confusus on Opuntia dillenii ( Ahmad & Ghani 1972) . Ali et al. (2018) recorded it as a predator of Aphis fabae Theobald , Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch , Parlatoria spp. and Ferrisia virigata (Cockerell) in Pakistan. Feeds on aphids and scale insects in Pakistan ( Irshad 2001). Collected on tomato, tobacco, carrot, and sugarcane (label data).

Seasonal occurrence. Collected during April–July, and December (label data).

Notes. Kapur’s (1951 a: 292) record of E. flavipes from India is E. nigripennis ( Poorani 2002) . Trehan & Malhotra (1959) reported it (as E. flavipes ) as an aphidophagous species, that occasionally feeds on whiteflies and psyllids. Irshad (2001) recorded ‘ Exochomus flavipes ’ in Pakistan as feeding on Aphis fabae , Rhopalosiphum maidis , Dactylopius confusus , Parlatoria sp. , Ferrisia virgata , and mites with notes on its bioecology and distribution.

Figures

FIGURE 57. Parexochomus nigripennis (Erichson): a. adult, dorsal view; b. adult, lateral view; c. adult, frontal view; d–g. male genitalia: d. tegmen, lateral view; e. tegmen, ventral view; f. penis; g. penis apex; h. female genitalia; i. spermatheca.

FIGURE 58. Parexochomus nigripennis (Erichson): a. adult, dorsal view; b. abdomen; c. abdominal postcoxal line; d–g. male genitalia: d. tegmen, lateral view; e. tegmen, ventral view; f. penis; g. penis apex; h. spermatheca.