Cryptogonus complexus Kapur

POORANI, J., 2024, An illustrated guide to lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the Indian Subcontinent. Part 3. Tribe Aspidimerini, Zootaxa 5431 (1), pp. 1-89 : 23-29

Cryptogonus complexus Kapur

( Figs 17–19 )

Cryptogonus complexus Kapur, 1948: 110 (Holotype ♂; BMNH).— Poorani 2002: 344; Kovář 2007: 575; Ren et al. 2009: 112, 113; Dorji et al. 2019: 502.

Cryptogonus complexus var. vittatus Kapur, 1948: 110 .— Poorani 2002: 344.

Cryptogonus complexus var. posticus Kapur, 1948: 110 .— Poorani 2002: 344.

Diagnosis. Form broad oval, moderately convex. Head yellow in male, black in female, pronotum black except anterior margin yellowish or reddish brown, anterolateral angles yellow; elytral pattern highly variable, commonly found variations as follows: (a) elytra black with an apical, angular yellow spot ( Fig. 17a, b ) ( var. posticus ); (b) elytra black with a large, transverse yellow macula in apical one-third, apical margin black ( Fig. 18a, b ); (c) elytra black with a yellowish or reddish, elongate oval discal spot, posterior third of elytra yellow and anteriorly merged with the discal spot, elytral apices yellow ( Fig. 19a, b ) or black; (d) elytra with reddish or orange-yellow discal vittae, basal, lateral and sutural margins black ( var. vittatus ) ( Fig. 19d, e ). Prosternum ( Fig. 18d ) as illustrated. Abdominal postcoxal line incomplete ( Figs 17c, d , 19f ). Male genitalia ( Figs 17e–h , 18e–g , 19g –i ), female genitalia ( Figs 17i , 18h ) and spermatheca ( Fig. 18i ) as illustrated.

Type material examined. Holotype male, “TYPE (red bordered circular label)/Doherty/ Assam, Patkai Mts /Fry Coll. 1905-100/61817/ Cryptogonus complexus , n.sp. Type A.P. Kapur 1947” ( BMNH) ; Paratype with same data except no. 61843 ( BMNH: 1) .

Cryptogonus complexus ab. posticalis Kapur : “Type (red bordered circular label)/Doherty/Assam Patkai Mts/ Fry Coll. 1905-100/ Cryptogonus complexus , ab. nov. posticalis ( TYPE), A.P. Kapur, 1947” ( BMNH); “Sikkim: Singhik, 5000 ft, 24.iv.1924, Major R.W.G. Hingston /Everest Exp. Brit. Mus. 1924-386/ Cryptogonus complexus ab. posticalis (Paratype), A.P. Kapur det. 1947” ( BMNH); “ BURMA: Mishmi Hills, Dingliang, 2450 ft, 12.iii.35, M. Steele /Brit. Mus. 1935-312/ Cryptogonus complexus ab. posticalis (Paratype) A.P. Kapur det. 1947”, head and pronotum missing ( BMNH) .

Cryptogonus complexus ab. vittatus Kapur: “Type (red bordered circular label)/ Assam, Patkai Mts /Doherty/Fry Coll. 1905-100/ Cryptogonus complexus ab. nov. vittatus TYPE, A.P. Kapur, 1947” ( BMNH); 3 paratypes with same data ( BMNH) .

Distribution. India (Assam (Patkai Mountains); Manipur; Meghalaya; Sikkim; Tripura); Bhutan; Nepal; Myanmar; China.

Prey / Associated habitat. Collected on mulberry (label data). Distributed at an altitude of 1001–1500 m in the northeastern region of India ( Shantibala & Singh 1991).

Seasonal occurrence. Collected in March–April, October–November (label data).

Notes. This is one of the most variable species of Cryptogonus and appears to be the most common in the northeastern region of India along with C. quadriguttatus . Of the two variants described by Kapur (1948), Cryptogonus complexus var. posticus is very similar to C. himalayensis in having black elytra with yellow apices. Kapur’s type material of var. posticus at BMNH (examined) is labelled as “ Cryptogonus complexus ab. posticalis”. Cryptogonus complexus var. vittatus (published as vittata by Kapur 1948) has black elytra with a pair of elongate reddish-yellowish bands of variable size reaching up to 2/3 rd length of elytra or with elongate oval spots as in C. orbiculus . The nominate form (see holotype in Fig. 19a–c ) looks somewhat similar to C. downingi . The male genitalia are identical in all these variants. Cryptogonus brachylobius Pang, 1998 , has almost identical male genitalia (see illustrations in Ren et al. 2009) with almost fully blackish elytra with pale apices and it is likely to be a synonym of C. complexus . See Kapur (1948) and Ren et al. (2009) for detailed description and illustrations.

Figures

FIGURE 17. Cryptogonus complexus Kapur (var. posticus Kapur): a, b. dorsal view; c. abdomen, male; d. abdomen, female; e–h. male genitalia: e. tegmen, lateral view; f. tegmen, ventral view; g. penis; h. penis apex; i. female genitalia.

FIGURE 18. Cryptogonus complexus Kapur (var. posticus Kapur): a. dorsal view; b. lateral view; c. frontal view; d. ventral view; e–g. male genitalia: e. tegmen, lateral view; f. tegmen, ventral view; g. penis; h. female genitalia; i. spermatheca.

FIGURE 19. Cryptogonus complexus Kapur: a–c. holotype, nominate form (BMNH): a. dorsal view; b. lateral view; c. frontal view; d, e, variant (var. vittatus Kapur); f. abdomen; g–i. male genitalia: g. tegmen, lateral view; h. tegmen, ventral view; i. penis.