Coridius nepalensis (Westwood, 1837)

Boyane, Swapnil S., Sen, Sandeep, Priyadarsanan, Dharma Rajan, Thunga, Pavan Kumar, Joshi, Nikhil U. & Ghate, Hemant V., 2024, Integrative taxonomy of the genus Coridius Illiger, 1807 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Dinidoridae) reveals hidden diversity and three new species from North-East India, PLoS ONE (e 0298176) 1807 (7), pp. 1-46 : 20-21

Coridius nepalensis (Westwood, 1837) ( Figs 5D, 6D, 9D, 10D, 11D and 12D).

Aspongopus nepalensis westwood, 1837 : 26; Dallas, 1851: 349; walker, 1868: 483; St å l, 1870: 85; Distant, 1879: 45; Atkinson, 1889: 90; Lethierry & Severin, 1893: 237; waterhouse, 1900a: 251; 1900b: 9; Distant, 1901a: 819; 1901b: 104; 1902: 283; Kirkaldy, 1909: 256; Maxwell-Lefroy, 1909: 678; Strickland, 1932: 873–875; Miller, 1956: 38.

Aspongobus [sic] nepalensis Dohrn, 1859: 21 .

Coridius nepalensis Yang, 1940: 7 , 8; Durai, 1987: 190, 198, 265; Lis, 1990: 114, 141; 1992: 37; Rolston et al., 1996: 42, 43, 99; Ahmad et al., 1997: 307, 310, 319.

Material examined. INDIA: Arunachal Pradesh, Tippi , leg. Thejavikho Chase, 30.xi.2020, 27.026˚N, 92.610˚E, 179 m: 2 M, 2 F .

Diagnosis. Dorsally brown to dark brown, ventrally pale brown except abdominal sternites, seventh abdominal segment dark brown. Antennae black except fifth segment, which is pale ochraceous with fuscous apex. Lateral margins of pronotum black; area near metathoracic scent gland dark brown; legs concolorous with body ( Figs 5D and 6D).

Head two times wider at eyes than longer, equal to the width of anterior pronotal margin. Mandibular plates smooth, much longer than clypeus and meeting in front of it, lateral margins sinuate, and head rounded at apex; clypeus faintly ridged mesially ( Fig 9D). Eyes moderately large, pedunculate. Ocelli prominent, rounded, interocellar distance 1.97 times distance between eyes and ocelli. Antennae five segmented, all segments with fine sparse setae, fifth segment pilose. First segment surpassing apex of head, second segment 0.71 times shorter than third, fourth segment longest, fifth segment fusiform in shape. Labium four segmented, reaching to mid coxa; first segment reaching to base of head, second longest, third and fourth together equal to second.

Pronotum slightly declivous, deeply punctate, and medially transversely rugulose, anterior margin concave behind head, anterior angles obtuse, lateral margins appear carinated, posterior margin straight; calli prominent without rugae. Prosternum sulcate in the middle and laterally rugulose. Meso and meta sternum narrow with shallow groove.

Scutellum sparsely punctate and rugulose, apex tongue shaped.

Hemelytra. Corium finely rugulose, membrane broad with many veins.

Legs. Coxae rounded; femora flattened and slightly curved inside with short, stout, sparsely distributed setae; tibiae sulcate with numerous short spines like setae on both sides; tarsi with golden pubescence underneath, claws divergent.

Abdomen finely rugulose, glossy, without setae, seventh segment longest, proximal third with transverse rugae, distal two thirds smooth. Trichobothria situated posteriorly to spiracles.

Male genitalia. Exposed region of pygophore declivous basally, flat in distal half and with very sparse long setae. Elongate, somewhat squarish and sclerotized; ventral rim not rounded and with numerous long brown setae ( Fig 10D); ventrally convex, punctate and without setae ( Fig 11D). Parameres short, sclerotized, medially rounded, and broad and apically narrowing; outer margin irregular and appears denticulate and setose apically; inner margin sometimes a little concave ( Fig 12D).

Geographical distribution. Bangladesh, India (Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh), Indonesia, Nepal, and Vietnam [ 24, 27, 42].

Remarks. C. nepalensis is found under stones in dry riverbeds. This species is commonly consumed by the Nyishi tribe and is harvested from the Dibang River’s riverbeds (Loklung village in Lower Dibang Valley, Arunachal Pradesh).