Montandoniola indica Yamada, 2011

Ballal, Chandish R., Akbar, Shahid Ali, Yamada, Kazutaka, Wachkoo, Aijaz Ahmad & Varshney, Richa, 2018, Annotated catalogue of the flower bugs from India (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae, Lasiochilidae), Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 58 (1), pp. 207-226 : 216

Montandoniola indica Yamada, 2011

( Fig. 7 )

Montandoniola moraguesi (misidentification): MURALEEDHARAN & ANANTHAKRISHNAN (1971), MURALEEDHARAN (1977c), MURALEEDHARAN & ANANTHAKRISHNAN (1978b).

Montandoniola indica Yamada, 2011 in YAMADA et al. (2011: 2 ). HOLOTYPE:, India, Kerala, Palakkad, Kuzhalmannam (TKPM).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE:, ‘ INDIA: Kerala / Palakkad / Kuzhalmannam / 13.i.2008 / K. Bindu leg.’ [printed], ‘Host Insect: / Liothrips karnyi / Host Plant: / Piper nigrum ’ [printed], ‘Holotype / Montandoniola indica / Yamada, 2011 ’ [printed, red square] ( TKPM) .

Distribution in India. Andhra Pradesh ( MURALEEDHARAN & ANANTHAKRISHNAN 1978b, as M. moraguesi); Karnataka: Bangalore, Magadi, Mercara, Ghati Subramanya (this paper); Kerala: Malappuram, Palakkad, Wynaad (MURALEEDHARAN 1977b, as M. moraguesi; MURALEEDHARAN & ANANTHAKRISHNAN 1978b, as M. moraguesi; YAMADA et al. 2011); Maharashtra: Panchgani ( MURALEEDHARAN & ANANTHAKRISHNAN 1978b, as M. moraguesi); Tamil Nadu: Madras [= Chennai], Courtallam, Hosur, Kodaikanal, Tambaram, Yercaud ( MURALEEDHARAN 1977c, as M. moraguesi; MURALEEDHARAN & ANANTHAKRISHNAN 1978b, as M. moraguesi); Uttar Pradesh: Dehra Dun ( MURALEEDHARAN & ANANTHAKRISHNAN 1978b, as M. moraguesi); West Bengal: Kolkata ( MURALEEDHARAN & ANANTHAKRISHNAN 1978b, as M. moraguesi; BALLAL et al. 2012a).

General distribution. Endemic.

Biology. The species inhabits different plants such as black pepper (Piper nigrum), Ficus and Terminalia chebula and preys on variety of insects including gall makers, Gynaikothrips flaviantennatus Moulton, 1929; G. bengalensis Ananthakrishnan, 1973; G. uzeli Zimmermann, 1900; Schedothrips orientalis Ananthakrishnan, 1968; Liothrips karnyi Bagnall, 1914 (MURALEEDHARAN & ANANTHAKRISHNAN 1971, 1978b; ANANTHAKRISHNAN & VARADARASAN 1977; DEVASAHAYAM & KOYA 1994; DEVASAHAYAM 2000; YAMADA et al. 2011; BALLAL et al. 2012a; BALLAL & YAMADA 2016). This species was collected from jamun (Syzygium cumini), bastard teak (Butea monosperma), mulberry (Morus sp.) and observed to be associated with several thrips species including Megalurothrips sp. and mealybug species, viz. Planococcus citri (this paper). Recorded feeding on Gynaikothrips uzeli infesting Ficus retusa ( BALLAL et al. 2012a)

Comment. PLUOT- SIGWALT et al. (2009) reviewed the specimens of Montandoniola from different parts of the world. They concluded that several species were confused under the name M. moraguesi and that true M. moraguesi is restricted to the Mediterranean region and Africa.

Figures

Figs 1–12. Habitus photographs of selected Indian Anthocoridae. 1 – Amphiareus constrictus (Stål, 1860); 2 – Anthocoris muraleedharani Yamada, 2010; 3 – Physopleurella armata Poppius, 1909, from Thailand; 4 – Xylocoris (Arrostelus) flavipes (Reuter, 1875); 5 – Xylocoris (Proxylocoris) afer (Reuter, 1884); 6 – Blaptostethoides sp.; 7 – Montandoniola indica Yamada, 2011 (source: www.nbair.res.in); 8 – Xylocoris (Arrostelus) ampoli Yamada & Yasunaga, 2013; 9 – Carayonocoris indicus Muraleedharan, 1977; 10 – Xylocoris (Proxylocoris) confusus Carayon, 1972; 11 – Bilia sp. (this specimen is not examined); 12 – Buchananiella indica Muraleedharan, 1977. Photo credits: C. Ballal (1–2, 4–7, 9–12), K. Yamada (3, 8).