Trigonocarinatus bryanti (Kapur) POORANI, 2024

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 : 76-78

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5431.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4E009D84-E49A-4544-BAA3-B91E603FB0BC
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03887A7B-D742-FFDF-93CD-47E0FAD3F946
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Trigonocarinatus bryanti (Kapur)
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Trigonocarinatus bryanti (Kapur) , new combination

( Figs 58–64 View FIGURE 58 View FIGURE 59 View FIGURE 60 View FIGURE 61 View FIGURE 62 View FIGURE 63 View FIGURE 64 )

Cryptogonus bryanti Kapur, 1948: 116 .— Poorani 2002: 344.

Cryptogonus kapuri Ghorpade, 1974: 55 . New synonym.

Diagnosis. Form broad oval to slightly more elongate oval, dorsum moderately convex and densely pubescent. Head yellowish testaceous or creamy yellow, male with a black frontal spot, sometimes absent. Pronotum with a trapezoidal median black macula sometimes connected to a larger transverse black macula on posterior margin ( Fig. 60a–c View FIGURE 60 , 63f View FIGURE 63 ) or almost fully black, except anterior margin and anterolateral corners yellowish ( Figs 61a, b View FIGURE 61 ). Scutellar shield black. Elytra black to dark brown, elytral pattern highly variable as follows: (a) external margins with an irregular yellow stripe terminating a little before apex, discal area with an apically curved / somewhat oblique yellow band, not touching base and apex of elytra ( Fig. 64g View FIGURE 64 ), occasionally split into two smaller elongate spots ( Figs 63f View FIGURE 63 , 64h View FIGURE 64 ); (b) discal macula sometimes confluent with the apical yellowish area in varying degrees; (c) elytra largely yellowish to reddish testaceous with only an ill-defined sutural black band reaching up to middle ( Figs 62a View FIGURE 62 , 64f View FIGURE 64 ); (d) with two yellowish to reddish spots of variable size below basal margin, lateral margins yellowish or reddish brown and connected to a larger, obliquely curved yellowish maculae on posterior half of elytra enclosing a smaller black spot that is occasionally larger and covering the apical margin ( Figs 60a–c View FIGURE 60 , 61a, b View FIGURE 61 ). Prosternal process with an inverted Y-shaped carina ( Fig. 55c View FIGURE 55 ). Male genitalia across variants ( Figs 55f–h View FIGURE 55 , 58d, e View FIGURE 58 , 60e–g View FIGURE 60 , 61d–f View FIGURE 61 ) as illustrated. Female genitalia ( Figs 61g View FIGURE 61 , 62c View FIGURE 62 ) characteristic with the sperm duct very long and progressively wider towards bursa, spermatheca strongly curved and C-shaped, progressively and distinctly narrowed apically ( Figs 61h View FIGURE 61 , 62d View FIGURE 62 ) as illustrated.

Immature stages. Larva ( Figs 63c–e View FIGURE 63 , 64a–c View FIGURE 64 ) scale-like, ellipsoidal in outline, light brownish to yellowish grey with a pair of sclerotized median plates on prothorax, two pairs of smaller, dorsolateral plates on meso- and metathorax, and a median plate positioned above abdominal apex, otherwise without any dorsal protuberances. Pupation takes place on the substrate singly or in small groups ( Fig. 64d View FIGURE 64 ).

Type material examined. Cryptogonus bryanti Kapur , holotype: “Type (red bordered circular label)/Ceylon, G.E. Bryant, Kandy, vi.1908 / G. Bryant Coll. 1919-147/ Cryptogonus bryanti sp. nov. A.P. Kapur 1946/I ”, abdomen removed and glued to the same card with the specimen ( BMNH). Other material. 1 ex, “ SRI LANKA, Ambekelle , 26.vi.84, on IVS. Cocos nucifera /CP184/36, C.I.E.A. 16232/Pres. By Comm. Inst. Ent. B.M. 1984-1/ Cryptogonus bryanti Kapur , det. R.B. Madge, 1984” ( BMNH).

Distribution. India (Karnataka; Kerala; Tamil Nadu); Sri Lanka.

Prey/associated habitat. Hemiptera : Aphididae :Coconut aphid, Cerataphis brasiliensis (Hempel) (= Cerataphis variabilis Hille Ris Lambers ). Feeds and breeds exclusively on this species in the field and on Aphis (Aphis) odinae (van der Goot) in the laboratory ( Ghorpade 1974). Coccoidea: Aspidiotus destructor Signoret ; Coccus viridis (Green) . Predatory on Cerataphis brasiliensis arecanut (label data).

Natural enemy. Cowperia indica ( Hymenoptera : Encyrtidae ) (see Fig. 5a, b View FIGURE 5 ) was reared from the pupae of this species (collected from Bangalore, Karnataka) (unpublished data).

Seasonal occurrence. Active during January, June–July, and September–October in and around Bangalore ( Ghorpade 1974).

Notes. Kapur (1948) created the bilineatus species group to accommodate C. bilineatus and C. bryanti in view of their characteristic, inverted Y-shaped prosternal carinae. Ghorpade (1974) described C. kapuri as a close relative of C. bilineatus but he did not examine the type of C. bilineatus . Examination of a series of specimens of C. kapuri from South India and the type specimen of C. bryanti (including the male genitalia) indicates they are synonymous. The elytral pattern is highly variable in material collected from South India (Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu; all collected on coconut). The descriptions of C. bryanti , C. kapuri and its variants described by Ghorpade (1974) fall within the range of variations exhibited in this series. Cryptogonus bryanti was described from Sri Lanka and the male genitalia illustrations of the holotype of C. bryanti ( Fig. 58d, e View FIGURE 58 ) and C. kapuri ( Fig. 55f–h View FIGURE 55 ) are almost identical and the specimen of T. bryanti from Sri Lanka (BMNH, examined) also was collected on coconut, the host plant with which T. kapuri is usually associated in South India. The male genitalia of T. bryanti ( Fig. 58d, e View FIGURE 58 ) are also within the range of variations exhibited by C. kapuri and hence T. kapuri is synonymized here with T. bryanti (new synonym). The entire series of variations in the elytral pattern is illustrated here along with the genitalia for comparison.