Cryptogonus hingstoni 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 : 34-36

Cryptogonus hingstoni Kapur

( Fig. 25a–c )

Cryptogonus hingstoni Kapur, 1948: 103 .— Poorani 2002: 344; Kovář 2007: 575; Huo et al. 2015c: 206 .

Diagnosis. Length: 2.80 mm; width: 2.20 mm. Form short oval, convex and densely pubescent. Ground colour yellowish-orange to reddish brown ( Fig. 25a–c ), pronotum with a black median macula below anterior margin and before midline ( Fig. 25a, c ), scutellar shield dark reddish brown, elytra with five small black spots roughly forming a ‘W’ pattern in dorsal view ( Fig. 25a ). Ventral side reddish brown except meso- and metaventrites darker, blackish. Genitalia not studied.

Material examined. “ Sikkim: Singhik , 5000 ft, 24.iv.1924, Maj. R.W.G. Hingston /Everest Exp. Brit. Mus. 1924-326” ( BMNH: 4). Bearing a note by R.G. Booth “Probably the type series, but see slide colln.? ♀ abd. on slide 1946, but desc. 1948 says ♀ not known” .

Distribution. India (Sikkim); China.

Notes. It is superficially similar to C. ariasi but can be distinguished by the elytral pattern, with the spots looking like a mirror image of the latter and forming a roughly W-shaped pattern, and the male genitalia. The holotype male ( BMNH, examined) is illustrated here and matching specimens could not be examined for detailed study of the genitalia. The specimens at BMNH are accompanied by a note by R.G. Booth —“Probably the type series, but see slide colln.? ♀ abd. on slide 1946, but desc. 1948 says ♀ not known”. However, the label data of these specimens match those given by Kapur for the type material (1948) .

Huo et al. (2015c) recorded it from China and illustrated the habitus and the male genitalia. See Kapur (1948) and Huo et al. (2015c) for detailed description and illustrations.

Figures

FIGURE 25. Cryptogonus hingstoni Kapur, holotype (BMNH): a. dorsal view; b. lateral view; c. frontal view.