Bulaea Mulsant

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 : 44

Genus Bulaea Mulsant

Bulaea Mulsant, 1850: 36 , 69.

Type species: Coccinella lichatschovii Hummel, 1827: 43 , (by subsequent designation by Crotch, 1874: 105).

Diagnosis. Form elongate oval, dorsum convex and glabrous. Ground colour yellowish with black maculae on pronotum and elytra ( Fig. 26a ). Antenna ( Figs 26b , 28b ) 11-segmented with a compact three-segmented club, terminal antennomere distinctly transverse and quadrate. Terminal maxillary palpomere elongate and narrowly securiform ( Figs 26c , 28d ). Prosternal intercoxal process without carinae ( Fig. 27d ). Tarsal claws almost simple ( Figs 27f , 28f ), at most with only a weak medial dilation and lacking a basal tooth. Abdominal postcoxal line ( Figs 26d , 27b ) strongly recurved, incomplete. Female genitalia ( Fig. 27g ) as illustrated, spermatheca ( Figs 26e, f , 27h , 28g ) with a typically elongate tubular ramus and a much shorter nodulus, infundibulum absent.

Distribution. Oriental, Palaearctic and Afro-tropical.

Affinities. Tomaszewska et al. (2021) included Bulaea in the Coccinella -group of genera. It was found to be paraphyletic and closely related to Anisosticta , Coccinula and Tytthaspis in their morphological analyses.

Biology. The species of Bulaea are known to have a mixed diet and are at least partially phytophagous (Escalona et al. 2017). Bulaea lichatschovii is commonly known to feed on a mixed diet of leaves, pollen and aphids ( Savoiskaya 1970, 1983).

Included species. Two species, B. lichatschovi and B. lividula bocandei , are distributed in this region and not commonly collected.

Figures

FIGURE 26. Bulaea lichatschovii: a. adult, dorsal view; b. antenna; c. maxilla; d. abdominal postcoxal line; e, f. female genitalia: spermatheca.

FIGURE 27. Bulaea lichatschovii: a. head; b. abdominal postcoxal line; c. apical ventrites, female; d. prosternal process; e. leg; f. tarsal claw; g. female genitalia; h. spermatheca, enlarged.

FIGURE 28. Bulaea lividula bocandei: a. adult, dorsal view; b. antenna; c. mandible; d. maxilla; e. abdominal postcoxal line; f. tarsal claw; g. spermatheca; h–j. male genitalia: h. tegmen, lateral view; i. tegmen, ventral view; j. penis.