Anovia punica Gordon

Pinchao, Ever Camilo, Kondo, Takumasa & F, Guillermo González, 2015, Rodolia cardinalis (Mulsant) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a new predator of Crypticerya multicicatrices Kondo and Unruh (Hemiptera: Monophlebidae), Insecta Mundi 2015 (431), pp. 1-7 : 3

Anovia punica Gordon

Larvae and adult ( Fig. 1 A ) beetles of A. punica were collected and found feeding on CFS in the city of Cali. Anovia punica was originally described from Venezuela (type locality), Colombia, Honduras, Panama and Trinidad ( Gordon 1972) and have been more recently recorded from Peru ( Gonzalez and Kondo 2014). This insect has been identified amongst material collected in Colombia and associated with the Colombian fluted scale, C. multicicatrices ( Gonzalez and Kondo 2014) . In the original description, three color forms of A. punica were described, namely: 1) reddish purple with edges of elytra and pronotum red; 2) completely red; and 3) red with black lateral band by Gordon (1972). More recently, Gonzalez and Kondo (2014) reported further color morphs for this coccinellid. They reported that the predominant color can be light brown, dark brown, purple, black opaque or black with tinges of shiny green or blue, with color patterns composed of reddish or brown areas on black background or black areas on brown or reddish background ( Gonzalez and Kondo 2014). According to Gonzalez and Kondo (2014), these patterns are usually seen on the front edge and the lateral 1/3rd of the pronotum, scutellum, and lateral edges of the elytra. The color patterns of A. punica may form a marginal or submarginal band of variable width and length on the elytra or sometimes found at the basal area of the elytra near the scutellum ( Gonzalez and Kondo 2014). Based on observations in the present study, both larvae and adults of A. punica prefer eggs of CFS for feeding, but will feed on other nymphal stages of CFS.

Figures

Figure 1. A. Anovia punica. Bluish-dark specimen from Cali. B. Rodolia cardinalis, with typical patterns. Photos by C. Pinchao.