Curinus 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 : 72

Genus Curinus Mulsant

( Fig. 53 )

Curinus Mulsant, 1850: 472 . Type species: Orcus (Curinus) coeruleus Mulsant, 1850: 472 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Adult beetle dark bluish violet except anterolateral corners of pronotum yellowish-orange ( Fig. 53a ). Dorsum strongly convex and glabrous. Anterior clypeal margin medially excised ( Figs 53b , 54a ). Antenna ( Figs 53c , 54b ) with 10 antennomeres, first two antennomeres largest, ninth with sides gradully tapering towards an oblique apex, terminal antennomere short, conical and slightly wider than long. Terminal maxillary palpomere ( Figs 53d , 54c ) with sides subparallel and apical margin strongly oblique. Prosternal process flat and broad, apically rounded and without carinae. Elytral margins slightly reflexed. Postcoxal lines on metaventrite complete. Number of visible abdominal ventrites six in male and five in female; abdominal postcoxal line ( Figs 53e , 54d ) incomplete, apically strongly recurved. Elytral epipleura strongly foveate to receive femoral apices. Outer edge of fore tibia angulate. Tarsal claws with a basal, subquadrate tooth. Coxites elongate triangular ( Fig. 54i ); female genitalia with infundibulum present ( Fig. 54i, j ).

Affinities. Li et al. (2020b) recovered it as a sister group of Arawana Leng , a genus distributed in the Neotropical and Nearctic regions, with strong support.

Included species. This genus contains four species, Curinus coeruleus ( Mulsant, 1850) , C. colombianus Chapin, 1965 , C. peleus ( Mulsant, 1850) and C. camboriuensis González & Almeida, 2017 , all known from the Neotropical region. Curinus coeruleus was introduced in India in 1988 and now it is permanently established in parts of South India.

Figures

FIGURE 53. Curinus coeruleus (Mulsant): a. adult; b. head; c. antenna; d. maxilla; e. abdominal postcoxal line; f. spermatheca; g–i. male genitalia: g. tegmen, lateral view; h. tegmen, ventral view; i. penis.

FIGURE 54. Curinus coeruleus (Mulsant): a. head; b. antenna; c. maxilla; d. abdominal postcoxal line; e–h. male genitalia: e. tegmen, lateral view; f. tegmen, ventral view; g. penis; h. penis apex; i. female genitalia; j. infundibulum (magnified); k. spermatheca.