Halyzia sanscrita Mulsant

POORANI, J., 2023, An illustrated guide to lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the Indian Subcontinent. Part 1. Tribe Coccinellini, Zootaxa 5332 (1), pp. 1-307 : 117-118

Halyzia sanscrita Mulsant

( Figs 76 , 78c , 81 )

Halyzia sanscrita Mulsant, 1853a: 152 (Type locality: N. India).—Crotch 1874: 132; Korschefsky 1932: 571; Poorani 2002a: 342; Ren et al. 2009: 238; Yu 2010: 148.

Diagnosis. Length: 4.90–5.60 mm; width: 3.50–4.20 mm. Form ( Figs 78c , 81a–g ) elongate oval, dorsum convex and glabrous. Ground colour ochreous to yellowish brown with creamy white maculae on pronotum and elytra as follows: pronotum with five maculae, four on lateral sides and one elongate median one, elytral pattern consisting of narrow stripes and spots, sometimes confluent. Abdominal postcoxal line ( Fig. 76c ) very short, incomplete, apically recurved. Male genitalia ( Figs 76d, e ; 81h–j ) and spermatheca ( Fig. 76f ) as illustrated.

Distribution. India: Northern and northwestern regions (Arunachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh); Pakistan; Bhutan; Nepal; Tibet; China; Taiwan.

Prey/associated habitat. Feeds on mildews infecting Dalbergia sissoo , mulberry, pear, berseem, Abutilon indicum , etc.Also recorded as feeding on Cinara tujafilina (del Guercio), Cinara sp. , Adelges sp. on silver fir. Beeson (1941), perhaps erroneously, reported it as feeding on the epidermis of leaves of D. sissoo , causing defoliation. Collected on mustard and peas (label data).

Seasonal occurrence. Collected during August–April from different parts of north and northwestern India. Active during May–June in Pakistan ( Hayat et al. 2017).

Notes. See Mader (1934), Ren et al. (2009) and Yu (2010) for more illustrations / description.

Figures

FIGURE 76. Halyzia sanscrita Mulsant: a. antenna; b. maxilla; c. abdominal postcoxal line; d, e. male genitalia: d. tegmen, ventral view; e. penis; f. spermatheca.

FIGURE 78. a. Halyzia dejavu Poorani & Booth; b. Halyzia straminea (Hope); c. Halyzia sanscrita Mulsant (type material, BMNH).

FIGURE 81. Halyzia sanscrita Mulsant: a–f. live adult; g. adult, dorsal view; h–j. male genitalia: h. tegmen, lateral view; i. tegmen, ventral view; j. penis.