Scymnus (Neopullus) sinuanodulus Yu and Yao

Yu, Guoyue, Montgomery, Michael E. & Yao, Defu, 2000, Lady Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) From Chinese Hemlocks Infested With The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, Adelges Tsugae Annand (Homoptera: Adelgidae), The Coleopterists Bulletin 54 (2), pp. 154-199 : 161-163

Scymnus (Neopullus) sinuanodulus Yu and Yao

( Fig. 3)

Scymnus (Neopullus) sinuanodulus Yu and Yao 1997 in Yu et al. 1997 (Yunnan).

Distribution. China (Yunnan).

Specimens Examined. Types (10 total), Yunnan: Lijiang: Heyuan (2), Yunshanping (6), Ningliang (1). Other (37 total), Yunnan: Lijiang : Heixiaoercun (4), Jianchuan (3), Yunshanping (1), Wenbishan (21), Heyuan (3), Baishuihe (2) .

Remarks. Additional elytral color patterns ( Fig. 3m, n, o) are added to the original illustrations reproduced here. It is easy to distinguish the male and female; the head is brown in males and black or dark brown in females, and females have larger black marking on the pronotum. This species has been imported into the United States ( Montgomery et al. 1998), reared through several generations, and has been released.

Scymnus (Neopullus) ningshanensis Yu and Yao, new species ( Fig. 4)

Description. Male. Length 1.70 mm, width 1.15 mm. Form elongate oval with sides gently arcuate at middle, dorsum moderately convex. Head including antennae and mouthparts brown, frons slightly darker. Pronotum black, lateral and narrow anterior margins brown, border between black and brown not distinct. Scutellum black. Elytra brown with black base; black along suture tapering to 1/3 elytral length, then very narrow to 5/6 elytral length; black on lateral sides extending to 2/3 elytral length; a pair of slightly oblique, elongate­oval black spots between 1/2 and 2/3 elytral length, slightly closer to suture than to lateral margin. Underside dark brown or black, with brown apex. Legs brown, femora and tibiae may be darker. Interocular distance about 1/2 head width. Innerocular margins nearly parallel and slightly divergent posteriorly. Frons nearly flat, finely punctate. Clypeus apex nearly truncate. Antenna 10­segmented, proportions as illustrated ( Fig. 4h), sixth segment almost as long as preceding two segments combined. Maxillary palpus terminal segment slightly divergent distally, distal side distinctly oblique. Pronotum with punctation similar to head. Elytral punctation distinctly coarser, pubescence arranged in very weak S­form. Prosternal carinae moderately separated, basal half distinctly convergent, anterior half nearly parallel. Postcoxal line of first abdominal sternite complete, reaching 2/3 of shortest length of sternite, enclosed area finely and irregularly punctate, except posterior 1/3 smooth. Abdomen with hind margin of fifth abdominal sternite nearly truncate, slightly incurvate; sixth sternite with apex nearly truncate, setae slightly longer on lateral sides. Genitalia: Sipho ( Fig. 4a) moderately long, basal 1/3 strongly curved; siphonal capsule almost black, with long inner process and short outer process; middle of sipho swollen; siphonal apex ( Fig. 4b) simple, thread­like, without distinct appendix except exterior membrane. Tegmen ( Fig. 4 c­f) moderately slen­ der; median piece widest at middle, narrowing slightly toward base, converging moderately to sharp apex in ventral aspect; lateral lobes longer than median piece, curved downward at apex.

Female. Similar to male except hind margin of fifth abdominal sternite nearly truncate, slightly convex; sixth sternite with apex nearly truncate, setae similar in length. Genitalia: Receptaculum seminis, infundibulum, and hemisternites as illustrated ( Fig. 4i, n, and k).

Variation. Body length 1.70–2.00 mm, width 1.15–1.30 mm.

Distribution. China (Shaanxi).

Type Series. Holotype: (Ƌ), Shaanxi: Ningshan: Huoditang (34.0 N, 108.2 E), 9­IV­1998, Yao D. et al. leg. ( BAAF) . Paratypes: (1 Ƌ, 12 ♀, same data as holotype) (3 BAAF, 8 CAF, 2 USNM) .

Etymology. The name refers to the type locality (county name).

Remarks. This new species is a predator of Adelges tsugae , and a potential biological control for the adelgid in the United States. It has been reared through the complete life cycle in two laboratories. It is closely related to the above two species, both in color pattern and male genitalia. It is distinguishable from them by the black suture extending to 5/6 elytral length, and the female receptaculum seminis.