Singhikalia Kapur

POORANI, J., 2023, An illustrated guide to lady beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the Indian Subcontinent. Part 1. Tribe Coccinellini, Zootaxa 5332 (1), pp. 1-307 : 258-260

Genus Singhikalia Kapur

Singhikalia Kapur, 1963a: 16 .

Type species: Singhikalia ornata Kapur, 1963a: 17 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. Form broad oval, dorsum convex and densely pubescent. General appearance with red and black coloration and dorsal pubescence suggestive of Epilachnini . Lateral antennal insertions much closer to the eyes. Mandibles apically bifid. Labial terminal palpomere about as broad as penultimate one. Mesoventrite anteriorly strongly emarginate medially. Elytral lateral margins without marginal bead. Middle and hind tibia without apical spurs. Hind margin of ventrite 5 in female sinuate and produced medially backwards. Tarsal claws appendiculate. Male genitalia with penis having more than one sclerite that are distinctly separated by a membrane. Infundibulum in the form of at least lightly sclerotized piece of bursa at origin of sperm duct.

Distribution. India, China, Pakistan.

Affinities. Singhikalia is most unusual in Coccinellini because it is the only genus of the Indian region with distinct dorsal pubescence and outwardly resembles members of the tribe Epilachnini . It probably mimics members of Epilachnini because “both are often found in the same series in museum collections, suggesting that they may co-occur in the same area and host plants” (Escalona et al. 2017). Only Subepilachna Bielawski, 1963b , a genus endemic to Papua New Guinea, is comparable to Singhikalia in the tribe Coccinellini in having dorsal pubescence and it was synonymized with Singhikalia by Jadwiszczak (1990). However, Ślipiński et al. (2020) recognized both as valid genera on the basis of “pronounced differences in the male and female terminalia and external morphology”.

Included species. Two species are known from the Indian subcontinent- Singhikalia ornata Kapur , the type species, and S. duodecimguttata Xiao (newly recorded from Pakistan here).