Platynaspis variegata Crotch

Poorani, J., 2023, - A-review-of-Platynaspini- (Coleoptera: - Coccinellidae) - of-the-Indian-subcontinent including-description-of-a-new-genus-from-north-eastern-India-and-Bangladesh, Zootaxa 5256 (4), pp. 301-328 : 314

Platynaspis variegata Crotch

( Figs 10 , 11 )

Platynaspis variegata Crotch, 1874: 198 .

Platynaspidius variegatus: Kovář 2007: 73 .

Platynaspis bimaculata Pang et Mao, 1979: 94–95 (preoccupied in Weise 1888).— Ukrainsky 2007: 212; Kovář 2007: 73 (synonymy with Platynaspidius variegatus ).

Platynaspidius bimaculata: Poorani 2002: 315 .

Paraplatynaspis bimaculatus Hoàng, 1983: 8 .— Ślipiński & Tomaszewska 2002: 496 (synonymy with Platynaspis ); Ukrainsky 2007: 212; Kovář 2007: 73 (synonymy with P. variegatus ).

Platynaspis hoàngi Ukrainsky, 2007: 212 .— Poorani 2014: 6. Unnecessary replacement name for P. bimaculata (Pang & Mao) .

Platynaspis kapuri Chakraborty & Biswas, 2000: 122 .— Poorani 2004: 186; Poorani 2014: 6 .

Diagnosis. Length: 2.50–2.90 mm; width: 2.00– 2.35 mm. Form ( Fig. 10a–c ) broad oval to subcircular, dorsum moderately convex and densely pubescent. Head black. Pronotum pitchy black except anterolateral corners pale yellow. Elytra pitchy brown to black, elytral pattern variable, with an oblique, roughly hour-glass shaped yellowish marking across middle ( Figs 10b , 11c ), elytral apices pale yellow, sometimes fused with median marking to form a larger marking ( Fig. 10a ) or rarely almost fully melanic with a paler discal area ( Figs 10c , 11j–m ). Male genitalia ( Fig. 10h–j ), coxites ( Fig. 10f ) and female spermatheca ( Fig. 10g ) as illustrated. Larva ( Fig. 11a, b, d–i ) as illustrated.

Material­examined. India: Assam: Hajo , 12.xii.1965 / CIBC-IS (4F, 4M: NBAIR) .

Distribution. India: Widely distributed in north-eastern region (Assam; Meghalaya; Sikkim; Tripura; West Bengal). China.

­ Prey/associated­habitat. It is a common predator of aphids on various host plants in the north-eastern region of India. Devi (1989) recorded it as a predator of Greenidea formosana heeri Raychaudhuri et al. infesting Eugenia jambolana and Macrosiphoniella yomogifolia (Shinji) infesting Eupatorium odoratum and Artemisia vulgaris from Manipur (under the name “ Platynaspis indicus sp.­ n. ”). Chakrabarti et al. (2012) recorded it as a predator of Aphis spiraecola Patch on wild chilli pepper ( Capsicum frutescens (L.)) from Sikkim, India. Aphis spiraecola on Eupatorium odoratum , indeterminate aphids on brinjal and Vitex sp. (label data). Collected during July-August, and December (north-eastern India) (label data).

­ Notes. Kovář (2007) synonymized Paraplatynaspis with Platynaspidius and Paraplatynaspis bimaculatus Hoàng 1983 and Platynaspis bimaculata Pang & Mao 1979 with Platynaspidius variegata (Crotch) in his catalogue of Palaearctic Coccinellidae . Poorani (2014) was unaware of Kovář’s (2007) nomenclatural act and established P. kapuri Chakraborty & Biswas 2000 as the valid name for this species as the other two names were junior homonyms of Platynaspis bimaculata Weise, 1888 besides being synonyms themselves.

Platynaspis indicus Devi, 1989 (listed as ‘ nomen nudum ’ by Poorani, 2002), was described with illustrations as a new species from Manipur, north-eastern India, in a doctoral thesis ( Devi 1989: 131) and subsequently mentioned in an article by Shantibala & Singh (1991). The habitus and male genitalia illustrations of ‘ P. indicus ’ by Devi (1989: Figs 35a, b, 63) leave no doubt that it is synonymous with P. variegata and the description appears to be based on the nominate form and also the darker colour variant with fully melanic elytra. Many workers such as Pang & Mao (1979), Poorani (2014) and Chakraborty & Biswas (2000) have illustrated P. variegata under the various synonyms listed above.

Figures

FIGURE­ 10. Platynaspis variegata Crotch: a–c. variants; d. abdomen, male; e. abdominal postcoxal line; f. coxites; g. spermatheca; h–j. male genitalia: h. tegmen, lateral view; i. tegmen, lateral view; j. penis.

FIGURE­11. Life stages of Platynaspis variegata Crotch: a, b, d–i. larva; c. adult, nominate form; j–m. darker variant (Image credits: Dr Rojeet Thangjam, CAU, Imphal).