Coccinella (Coccinella) magnopunctata Rybakow, 1889

Kovář, Ivo, 2005, Revision of the Palaearctic species of the Coccinella transversoguttata species group with notes on some other species of the genus (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 45, pp. 129-164 : 43-49

Coccinella (Coccinella) magnopunctata Rybakow, 1889

( Figs. 37-55 , 78-79, 83-88, 95 )

Coccinella undecimpunctata var. magnopunctata Rybakow, 1889: 290 ; WEISE (1889): 573.

Coccinella Semenowi Weise, 1889: 651 ; JACOBSON (1915): 982 (distribution).

Coccinella magnopunctata: DOBRZHANSKIY (1926) : 22; KORSCHEFSKY (1932): 469 (catalogue); KAPUR (1963): 33.

Coccinella magnoguttata Mader, 1930 in MADER (1926 -1937): 152 (misspelling).

Coccinella (s. str.) magnopunctata : IABLOKOFF- KHNZORIAN (1979): 67 (catalogue); IABLOKOFF- KHNZORIAN (1982): 363.

Material examined. CHINA: GANSU, Luqu , 2500 m a.s.l., 11.vii.1990, 1 ♀, M. Nikodým lgt. ( NMPC) ; Xiahe ( Labrang ), 3300-3700 m a.s.l., 1.-15.vi.1998, 2 JJ 4 ♀♀, V. Major lgt. (NMPC, CVNC) ; QUINGHAI, valley 40 km S of Huangyuan , 2500 m a.s.l., 6.-8.vii.1980, 1 J, M. Nikodým lgt. ( NMPC) ; SICHUAN, Litang env., 5000 m a.s.l., 29.vii.-3.viii.1995, 1 J 1 ♀, J. Schneider lgt. ( NMPC) .

Redescription. Body oval, in male 1.31-1.36 and in female 1.34-1.37 times as long as wide, moderately convex. Upper surfaces not much shiny, finely densely punctate, rudimentary pubescent, setae not longer than diameters of punctures.

Head black, eye canthus and two large trapezoidal frontal spots yellow-white, isolated, rarely touching orbits or narrowly interconnected by canthus. Mouthparts black, mandible with outer portion of base white-yellow to orange, apex pale brown, apices of labrum and terminal segments of maxillary and labial palpi sometimes brown. Antennae ochraceous to pale brown, scape, distal ends of pedicel and antennomeres 8-9 as well as antennomeres 10 and 11 infuscate. Pronotum black with small narrowly triangular, more or less broken ochraceous-white spot at each antero-lateral corner, reaching posterior 0.25-0.33 of lateral margin. Both spots narrowly interconnected at anterior margin of pronotum. Scutellum black. Elytra orange-red with 11 black spots of inequal size always arranged in a basic pattern of ½, 1, 1, 1, 2. Scutellar spot large, round, rather deeply triangularly emarginate along suture; humeral spot situated at the same level as sutural one, medium sized, round to rectangularly oval, its outer portion covering humeral bulge; lateral spot small and rounded, situated before anterior third of elytral length close to lateral margin; discal spot large, round to transversely oval, more or less emarginate antero-laterally, its major part situated before midlength of elytra; marginal spot small, frequently smallest of all, rounded; apical spot large, oblong oval to subrectangular, situated at posterior third, more than twice closer to sutural than to lateral margin. Underside black, propleura with small crescent-shaped, pale ochraceous spot at anterior corners, elytral epipleura red-orange, mesepimera white-yellow, metepimera partly brown. Legs black, anterior face of fore coxae with large pale ochraceous spot in male. Ventral face of fore femora in male with long pale stripe. Tarsal claw dark reddish brown with black base.

Head including labrum roundly pentagonal, capsule 1.4 times as wide as long and 0.52 (0.50-0.55) times as wide as pronotum. Anterior margin of clypeus truncate, straight in middle; antero-lateral angle asymmetrical, rectangularly triangular, narrowly arcuate at apex, moderately produced forward and at most slightly depressed; lateral margins parallel. Clypeus moderately transverse and convex, frontoclypeal sulcus only slightly marked laterally. Frons 0.58 (0.53-0.61) times as wide as head, moderately transverse and convex. Eyes small, shortly oval. Inner orbits moderately arcuate, more strongly so in posterior third, feebly converging anteriorly. Long portion of temples behind eyes feebly arcuate, rather strongly convergent posteriorly, then almost rounded and narrowing towards occipital aperture. Surface granulate-reticulate, rather finely punctate, covered with sparse pubescence. Punctures rather shallow, 0.9-1.2 or 1.5 times as large as eye facets, separated usually by their diameter, irregularly intermixed with larger ones on clypeus and vertex. Setae as long as 2-4 diameters of eye facets, towards antero-lateral part of frontoclypeus gradually longer, as long as 4-7 diameters. Antenna as in Fig. 40 .

Pronotum roundly pentagonal, 1.89 (1.86-1.98) times as wide as long, moderately regularly convex. Anterior margin rather widely and deeply trapezoidally emarginate, emarginated part arcuately convex in middle. Anterior corners moderately prominent, their inner margin flatly irregularly S-shaped, outer margin rather strongly arcuate, reaching the inner one at rectangular, somewhat widely arcuate asymmetrical tip. Posterior corners arcuate at obtuse angle, close to rectangular, situated at posterior 0.43 of pronotal length. Distance between anterior and posterior corners reaching nearly 0.75 of pronotal length. Lateral parts of pronotal surface slightly less convex than disc, antero-lateral area of pronotum rather flattened. Lateral margins gradually straightened towards posterior corners, moderately converging anteriorly, very narrowly reflexed and rather strongly bordered. Base semicircular in middle, sides gradually straightened, slightly emarginate before posterior corners. Surface somewhat obsoletely reticulate to subgranulate-reticulate, finely densely punctate. Punctures 0.9-1.2 times as large as eye facets, separated by 1-1.5 diameters, sometimes irregularly spaced, somewhat denser towards base. Scutellum equilaterally triangular, flat to moderately convex in longitudinal direction, at base as wide as 0.09-0.10 of pronotal width, sides feebly sinuate. Surface without reticulation, with more than 10 minute to small punctures.

Elytra ovate, in male 1.04-1.08 and in female 1.07-1.12 times as long as wide, moderately convex, in lateral view about 2.5-2.6 times as long as high, distinctly more convex posteriorly than anteriorly, apex shortly caudate. Base of elytra slightly concave, humeral angle widely obtusangulate, arcuate, not projecting anteriorly, its inner margin scarcely depressed. Humeral callus slightly developed, small. Outline of disc (posterior view) widely and not much strongly but regularly arcuate, gradually straightened towards lateral margins of elytra, in anterior half under humeral bulge distinctly depressed, with moderately deep longitudinal furrow near lateral margin. Furrow distinctly dilated on lateral black spot, reaching about half of its width. Lateral margins more flatly arcuate in anterior half than in posterior one, not reflexed but strongly bordered, border gradually narrowed from humerus to apex. Apex not widely arcuate, more or less acuminate. Surface somewhat obsoletely reticulate, finely and rather densely punctate. Punctures usually 0.8 times as large as eye facets and separated by 2.5-4 diameters.

Ventral surface moderately shiny with greyish-white and, on distal part of tibiae, pale brown pubescence. Setae usually as long as 4-6 diameters of eye facet, at sides and on femora 6-7 diameters. Propleura with moderately deep longitudinal median groove. Surface rather distinctly reticulate, with fine and dense oblique wrinkles along anterior part of its inner margin, punctures very shallow, appearing larger than eye facets, not very dense. Epipleuron 1.64 (1.44-1.97) times as wide as base of mesosternum, feebly sloping dorsomesad, at broadened portion widely excavate. Surface obsoletely rugose, densely punctate, punctures subequal to eye facets, however, with shallow (and hardly visible) margins. Prosternum rather strongly convex in middle; anterior margin deeply emarginate, the emargination arcuate to broadly Vshaped with shortly truncated apex. Basisternal lobes moderately wide, at narrowest part hardly twice as wide as prosternal process. Prosternal process narrow, moderately saddleshaped with round apex. Prosternal carinae subparallel, reaching anterior third of prosternum. Surface finely transversely wrinkled and irregularly covered with rather small, moderately dense punctures. Punctures along anterior margin smaller than eye facets, separated by 2 (1.5- 3) diameters, becoming somewhat sparser posteriorly or indistinct laterally. Mesosternal process at base 1.09 (0.87-1.29) times as wide as long at midline, strongly convex. Anterior margin of process strongly carinate, narrowly and very shallowly emarginate in middle. Surface of mesosternum irregularly punctate with coarsely and longitudinally wrinkled base; wrinkles arranged radially; punctures in wrinkles 1.5-2 times as large as eye facets, sometimes catenulate at base, becoming smaller and much sparser at anterior margin. Metasternum 4.08 (3.83-4.76) times as long as mesosternal process, moderately convex, moderately flattened postero-medially, medial longitudinal sulcus complete and well impressed. Precoxal bulges distinct, slightly developed. Surface not much densely, transversely wrinkled, obsoletely reticulate in antero-lateral portions, rather sparsely finely punctate. Punctures equal in size to eye facets, well impressed, sparsely and irregularly spaced along longitudinal sulcus, becoming slightly larger but much shallower and closer laterally, separated by their diameter or less. Abdominal ventrites moderately, not much widely convex medially. Ventrite 1 with median part only feebly saddle-shaped, surface rather coarsely and deeply punctate, punctures round to shortly oval, (1)-1.5-2 times as large as eye facets, irregularly dispersed, mostly separated by 0.5-1.5 times their diameter, smaller punctures very dense at antero-lateral portion of intercoxal process. Femoral line V-shaped, inner branch regularly arcuate, not quite reaching posterior margin of ventrite 1, nearly crossed by oblique line. Posterior margin of ventrite 5 in female truncate with double shallow emargination occupying half of the width of posterior margin, in male broadly and rather deeply emarginate with inner third of emargination finely convex posteriorly. Ventrite 6 in female with posterior margin widely rounded with angulate apex, bearing shallow and rounded subapical impression. Ventrite 6 in male with posterior margin subrounded but widely emarginate in middle, emarginate part some more or less straight in middle; bearing rather large, transversely oval, deep impression near midlength. Legs rather long, moderately slender, distal end of middle and hind femora slightly surpassing outer margin of epipleuron. Hind tibia feebly curved, 6.81 (6.67-7.35) times as long as wide; inner margin apart from basal portion straight to feebly concave, outer one slightly and regularly arcuate. Tarsomere 3 only slightly surpassing midlength of free part of tarsomere 2. Tarsal claw moderately slender, obtusangulately curved in middle, subquadrangular basal tooth situated nearly medially.

Male genitalia. Tegmen robust. Median lobe of aedeagus in ventral view with basal portion subquadrangular; apical hastate portion broadly pear-shaped, nearly as wide as basal one, sinuate at sides. Dorsal margin in lateral view nearly straight with apex strongly curved ven- trally, reaching over apex of paramere. Parameres strong, finger shaped, slightly curved in basal half. Basal piece quadrangular, somewhat wider than long, bearing subpentagonal basal appendix. Trabes robust, slightly curved distally, only a little shorter than basal piece and paramere combined. Sipho comparatively long, siphonal capsule robust, inner hook-shaped projection distinctly curved dorsally, roundly truncate at apex; dorsal rib strongly developed, semicircular. Siphonal tube in basal third widely rectangularly rounded, then straightened and slightly curved dorsally. Siphonal apex rather long, strikingly dilated at base (dilatation in lateral view elongate triangular dorsally), supporting sclerites parallel-sided dorso-ventrally (lateral view) and gradually narrowed anteriad (dorsal view), bearing three inequal swellings: two anterior ones as in C. marussii , and one round basal one armed with micro-prominences. Terminal ampulla of sipho comparatively small, subtriangular.

Female genitalia. Genital plate (hemiventrite 9), robust, about twice as long as wide, asymmetrically pear-shaped with rather slender, moderately curved basal portion, broadly arcuately truncate at apex. Stylus well developed, subcylindrical, bearing four setae. Spermatheca C-shaped, rather slender, less curved medially than at both ends, cornu hardly enlarged in middle, nodulus shortly conical, ramus somewhat shorter than nodulus, quadrangular in outline. Infundibulum about as long as spermatheca, with body cylindrical and enlarged at both ends; basal portion very shortly cone-shaped, distal dilatation 1.5 times as long and asymmetrically campaniform.

Length. Males (n = 3) 6.02-6.46 mm; females (n = 5) 6.32-6.91 mm. WEISE (1889), DO- BRZHANSKIY (1926) and MADER (1930 in 1926-1937) report 5-7 mm.

Variability. No principal variability in the colour pattern was found; the elytral spots always remain isolated ( Figs. 87-88 ).

Distribution. China: Gansu, Quinghai, Sichuan and Xizang provinces; India: Kashmir; Mongolia (IABLOKOFF- KHNZORIAN 1979, 1982); Nepal: Manang district; Russia: Tuva.

Discussion. Originally described as a variety of Coccinella undecimpunctata Linnaeus, 1758 by RYBAKOW (1889), who found unusually enlarged elytral black spots ½, 3 and 5 in an unknown number of specimens from localities ‘Dy-Tschu’ and ‘Amdo’ (in China, Quinghai province). WEISE (1889) recorded only the variety magnopunctata of C. undecimpunctata in provinces ‘Kan-ssu’ and ‘Sze-tschuan’ and based C. semenowi Weise, 1889 on other (numerous) material from ‘Kan-ssu’ and ‘Amdo’. His short description was based on differences in the position and size of some elytral spots between C. undecimpunctata and C. semenowi . SICARD (1892) added magnopunctata Ribakow [sic!] to the list of varieties of C. undecimpunctata . He was followed by GANGLBAUER (1899) and consequently by many students of the European Coccinellidae at the beginning of the 20 th century. JACOBSON (1915) regarded C. semenowi as a distinct species, giving its distributional data. DOBRZHANSKIY (1926) studied the types of C. magnopunctata and C. semenowi deposited in the Zoological Museum of the Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg), shortly redescribed C. magnopunctata as a distinct species, synonymized C. semenowi with it, and figured the aedeagus. MADER (1930 in 1926- 1937, as C. magnoguttata ) compared external characters of C. magnopunctata with those of C. undecimpunctata . IABLOKOFF- KHNZORIAN (1979, 1982) placed the species in Coccinella s. str. and designated the holotypes of C. magnopunctata and C semenowi .

The species undoubtedly belongs to C. transversoguttata species group. It seems to be a derived species within this group as suggested by the three preapical siphonal membranose swellings and the extremely enlarged hastate portion of the median lobe of aedeagus. It is evidently more closely related to C. marussii than to C. transversoguttata .

Figures

Figs. 37-47. Coccinella magnopunctata Rybakow, 1889. 37 – form of body, dorsal view; 38 – ibidem, lateral view; 39 – head; 40 – antenna; 41 – pronotum; 42 – prosternum; 43 – abdominal ventrite 1; 44 – abdominal ventrites 5- 6 of male; 45 – abdominal ventrites 5-6 of female; 46 – hind tibia and tarsus; 47 – tarsal claw.

Figs. 48-55. Coccinella magnopunctata Rybakow, 1889. 48 – tegmen, ventral view; 49 – ibidem, lateral view; 50 – ibidem, dorsal view; 51 – sipho; 52 – apex of sipho, lateral view; 53 – ibidem, ventral view; 54 – genital plate; 55 – spermatheca and infundibulum.

Figs. 75-96. 75-82 – colour pattern of pronotum. 75-76 – Coccinella marussii Kapur, 1973. 75 – male; 76 – female. 77 – C. hodeki sp. nov., male. 78-79 – C. magnopunctata Rybakow, 1889. 78 – male; 79 – female. 80-82 – C. t. transversoguttata Faldermann, 1835. 80-81 – male; 82 – female. 83-92 – colour pattern of elytra. 83-85 – C. marussii; 86 – C. hodeki sp. nov.; 87-88 – C. magnopunctata; 89-92 – C. t. transversoguttata. 93-96 – outline of median lobe of aedeagus and paramere. 93 – C. marussii; 94 – C. hodeki sp. nov.; 95 – C. magnopunctata; 96 – C. t. transversoguttata. Scale lines = 0.5 mm.