Phrynocaria Timberlake

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 : 229

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5332.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:424F7439-4095-46A5-93E3-C4130E3B6D9A

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8273866

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C74162-14BC-46D3-BDDF-36EBFD3CFABB

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Phrynocaria Timberlake
status

 

Genus Phrynocaria Timberlake

Phrynocaria Timberlake, 1943: 34 . Type species by original designation, Coccinella congener Billberg , in Scĥnherr 1808: 179 (= Coccinella unicolor Fabricius, 1792 ).

Phrynolemnia Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1984: 204. Type species by original designation, Coccinella congener Billberg , in Scĥnherr, 1808. Synonymized by Ślipiński 2007: 176.

Lemnia (Phrynocaria) : Iablokoff-Khnzorian 1984: 205, 210–214.

Artemis Mulsant, 1850: 374 , 388; 1866: 256.— Preoccupied in Lepidoptera View in CoL [not Artemis Kirby & Spence, 1828 ( Insecta View in CoL : Lepidoptera View in CoL : Saturniidae View in CoL ) ( Ukrainsky 2006: 400)].

Lemnia (Neoartemis) : Ukrainsky 2006: 400 (replacement name for Artemis Mulsant ).

Anegleis (Pseudanegleis) Iablokoff-Khnzorian, 1982: 296 . Type species by original designation, Coelophora perrotteti Mulsant, 1850: 409 .—Synonymized by Poorani 2002: 339.

Diagnosis. Medium-sized beetles, form broadly oval to almost circular, dorsum moderately to strongly convex, glabrous. Anterior clypeal margin of head straight between lateral projections. Antenna with 11 antennomeres, last four forming a terminal club; eyes large, prominent, eye canthus deep and narrow; frons narrow between eyes, markedly divergent and broadened anteriorly toward antennal insertions. Prothoracic hypomeron with distinct foveae near an-terolateral corners. Mesoventrite anteriorly deeply, triangularly emarginate, often with a short, longitudinal carina. Abdominal postcoxal lines incomplete, without an oblique dividing line. Meso-and metatibial spurs absent.

Morphologically Phrynocaria may be confused with related genera such as Coelophora Mulsant, 1850 (including Lemnia Mulsant, 1850 ), Microcaria Crotch, 1871 (formerly a synonym of Coelophora ), and Synona Pope, 1989 sharing a roughly hemispherical body shape with a narrowly explanate elytral margin; however, it is easily distinguished from these genera by the large eyes, much narrower frons (interocular distance at narrowest point from 0.8 to 1.3 times the width of an eye), and lack of meso-and metatibial spurs.

Affinities. Tomaszewska et al. (2021) included it in the Synonycha -group of genera and mentioned about the hitherto unresolved relationship between Phrynocaria and its close relative, Coelophora (including Lemnia ). In their analysis, Heteroneda was also recovered as closely related to Phrynocaria albeit with weak support. Poorani et al. (2021) reviewed the Indian species of Phrynocaria .

Distribution. Oriental, Palaearctic and Australo-Pacific regions.

Biology. Members of this genus seem to prefer whiteflies to aphids. At least two species, Phrynocaria unicolor (F.) and P. perrotteti (Mulsant) , are known to feed on whiteflies in India ( Kapur 1940). Aphids, coccids and psyllids have been recorded as prey of Phrynocaria spp. from Australia ( Pope 1989).

Included species. Poorani et al. (2021) included six species from the Indian region. One new species, Phrynocaria prathapani sp. n., is also described here.

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Coleoptera

Family

Coccinellidae

Loc

Phrynocaria Timberlake

POORANI, J. 2023
2023
Loc

Lemnia (Neoartemis)

Ukrainsky, A. S. 2006: 400
2006
Loc

Lemnia (Phrynocaria)

Iablokoff-Khnzorian, S. M. 1984: 205
1984
Loc

Anegleis (Pseudanegleis)

Iablokoff-Khnzorian, S. M. 1982: 296
Mulsant, E. 1850: 409
1982
Loc

Phrynocaria

Timberlake, P. H. 1943: 34
1943
Loc

Artemis

Mulsant, E. 1850: 374
1850
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