Halyzia tschitscherini Semenow

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 : 121

Halyzia tschitscherini Semenow

( Figs 83 , 84 )

Halyzia tschitscherini Semenow, 1895: 142 (Type locality: Turkestan).— Mader 1926 (1934), p. 289 T. 56, fig. 3; Korschefsky 1932: 573; Bielawski 1960: 455; Ghorpade 1979a: 113–114; Poorani 2002a: 342.

Diagnosis. Length: 5.10–5.70 mm; width: 3.60–4.20 mm. Form elongate oval, dorsum moderately convex, glabrous. Ground colour ochreous to reddish brown in live specimens ( Fig. 83a–f ), straw yellow in preserved specimens, with creamy white to white maculae on pronotum and elytra as follows: pronotum with a pair of oblique oval lateral maculae and a bottle-shaped median macula; each elytron with seven maculae ( Fig. 83a–g ), arranged in a 2–5 pattern, forming two rows; lateral borders of pronotum and elytra transparent. Head ( Fig. 84a ) with narrow frons and large eyes having strongly divergent inner margins. Terminal maxillary palpomere elongate securiform and widest apically ( Fig. 84a ). Abdominal postcoxal line very short and incomplete ( Fig. 84b ). Male genitalia ( Figs 83h–j , 84c–f ), female genitalia ( Fig. 84g ) and spermatheca ( Fig. 84h ) as illustrated.

Distribution. India: Northwestern region (Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand); Pakistan; Afghanistan; Turkestan-Taschkent (? Turkmenistan), Kazachstan and Pamir (Bielawski 1960, 1963a).

Prey/associated habitat. Feeds on powdery mildew caused by Phyllactinia corylea on mulberry (Ilahi et al. 2011). Collected on mulberry (label data); attracted to fluorescent light ( Ghorpade 1979a). Khan et al. (2007) reported it as ‘’feeding on scale insects on walnut trees’’ in Pakistan, which appears to be a doubtful record.

Seasonal occurrence. Collected in September, October (label data). Active during May–November and abundant during August–October in Pakistan ( Hayat et al. 2017).

Notes. See Mader (1937), Bielawski (1960) and Iablokoff-Khnzorian (1982) for more details and description / illustrations. Ghorpade (1979a) first recorded it from India and it appears to be very common in the cooler parts of northwestern India. Illahi et al. (2011) studied its feeding potential on mulberry powdery mildew and found it to be promising for use as a biocontrol agent.

Figures

FIGURE 83. Halyzia tschitscherini Semenow: a–f. live adult; g. adult, dorsal view; h–j. male genitalia: h. tegmen, ventral view; i. penis; j. penis apex.

FIGURE 84. Halyzia tschitscherini Semenow: a. head; b. abdomen, male; c–f. male genitalia: c. tegmen, lateral view; d. tegmen, ventral view; e. penis; f. penis apex; g. female genitalia; h. spermatheca (enlarged).