Hyperaspis maindroni Sicard, 1929

Poorani, J., 2022, A review of the tribe Hyperaspidini (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) from the Indian region, Zootaxa 5120 (2), pp. 198-212 : 199-206

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5120.2.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:24E1D5FC-E5BF-4047-9792-A012C8DD83AF
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6394243
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scientific name	Hyperaspis maindroni Sicard
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Hyperaspis maindroni Sicard

( Figs 1–4 View FIGURE 1 View FIGURE 2 View FIGURE 3 View FIGURE 4 )

Hyperaspis maindroni Sicard, 1929: 179 .– Korschefsky 1931: 183; Poorani 2002: 347.

Hyperaspis maindroni ab. brumoides Sicard, 1929: 180.– Korschefsky 1931: 183; Poorani 2002: 347.

Hyperaspis maindroni ab. includens Sicard, 1929: 180.– Korschefsky 1931: 183; Poorani, 2002: 347.

Brief Description. Length 2.16–2.90 mm, width 1.62–2.20 mm. Form ( Fig. 1a, b View FIGURE 1 ) oval, dorsoventrally somewhat flattened to very weakly convex, posterior margin of elytra broadly rounded to subtruncate, leaving abdominal apex slightly exposed. Head orange yellow, eyes brilliant metallic green in live specimens, pronotum orange yellow to reddish brown, basal margin of pronotum usually medially infuscate to some degree. Elytra pale creamy yellow, with three longitudinal black vittae, one on each elytron in a mid-dorsal position not reaching apex and one along sutural line reaching apex ( Fig. 1b View FIGURE 1 ), elytral stripes apically joined together with a short stem, forming a trident shaped marking in nominate form ( Fig. 1a View FIGURE 1 ); elytral apex narrowly bordered black. Prosternal carinae ( Fig. 1g View FIGURE 1 ) convergent towards anterior, lacking a distinct stem. Abdomen ( Fig. 1h View FIGURE 1 ) with six visible ventrites, abdominal postcoxal line apically incomplete ( Fig. 1j View FIGURE 1 ), ventrite 6 with posterior margin emarginate in male ( Fig. 1h View FIGURE 1 ) and broadly arcuate in female ( Fig. 1i View FIGURE 1 ). Male genitalia ( Fig. 1n–p, 1r–t View FIGURE 1 ) with penis guide asymmetrical ( Fig. 1o, r View FIGURE 1 ), penis strongly curved with a distinct capsule ( Fig. 1p, s View FIGURE 1 ), penis apex as illustrated ( Fig. 1q, t View FIGURE 1 ). Female genitalia with coxites ( Fig. 1k View FIGURE 1 ) transverse, spermathecal capsule stout with a basal appendix bearing a bulbous, almost globular distal process ( Fig. 1l, m View FIGURE 1 ).

Notes. Hyperaspis maindroni was originally described from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu (Type locality: Coimbatore) and it is widely distributed almost throughout India but appears to be scarce in the northeastern region. The nominate form of H. maindroni has a trident-shaped elytral macula and the more commonly collected variant(described as ab. brumoides by Sicard)resembles Brumoides spp. in having a similar colour pattern,particularly the elytra with three black stripes. Brumoides spp. and H. maindroni often coexist in nature and Brumoides can be separated from H. maindroni by its usually larger size, more convex form with apically rounded elytra, head with expanded clypeal margin, smaller scutellar shield, and other generic characters. Hyperaspis maindroni is commonly misidentified in collections as B. suturalis (F.) and some workers have wrongly identified it as B. lineatus (Weise) (e.g., Gautam et al. 2007).

Hyperaspis vinciguerrae Capra, 1929 , an extralimital species distributed in Africa, West Asia, and Canary Islands ( Biranvand et al. 2017; Romanowski et al. 2019), is similar to H. maindroni . Biranvand et al. (2017) and Romanowski et al. (2019) illustrated H. vinciguerrae and mentioned about the similarities between H. vinciguerrae and H. maindroni . Hounkpati et al. (2020) listed H. maindroni as present in West Africa ( Mauritania, Niger and Senegal) in their list of coccinellids of West Africa, apparently based on the observation by Biranvand et al. (2017) that H. vinciguerrae and H. maindroni were likely to be the same. Poorani & Lalitha (2018) discussed the differences between the two species. Hyperaspis maindroni does not have the sexually dimorphic coloration of head and pronotum as in H. vinciguerrae and the penis of the male genitalia in H. maindroni differs in being more slender and the penis capsule also is less robust with a much longer inner process whereas in H. vinciguerrae , the penis capsule is distinctly more robust and broader with subequal inner and outer processes. The male genitalia of H. vinciguerrae are illustrated by Raimundo & van Harten (2000) and Biranvand et al. (2017).

The species featured as H. maindroni in Gonzalez’s (2020) website on Coccinellidae View in CoL of Brazil is certainly different as the coloration and the male genitalia of the Brazilian species are not corresponding with the Indian species. The Brazilian species has a slightly more elongate form with obliquely truncate elytral apices, dark maculae on the head and pronotum, and elytra with dark lateral margins widened in the apical one-third, and the male genitalia, particularly the penis apex, are also different. Images of the specimens identified as H. maindroni from Brazil (sent by the late Dr Adriano Giorgi) are featured here for comparison ( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ).

Material examined. Type material: “ Type (red bordered circular label) / S. India No. 6, COIMBATORE, feeding on coccids on Solanum sp. , 15.III.28, M.S.K. Coll. / Pres. by Imp. Bur. Ent., Brit. Mus. 1928-490 / Hyperaspis maindroni Sic. , type ” ( BMNH); “ Type (red bordered circular label) / 31.VIII.22, SOUTH INDIA, COIMBATORE, Pred. on mealybug on Tribulus terrestris, T.V.S. Mani Coll. / H. maindroni a. brumoides Sic., Type ” ( BMNH) .

Other material. Numerous specimens from different parts of India.

Distribution. India: Widely distributed (Andhra Pradesh; Assam; Bihar; Delhi; Karnataka; Kerala; Madhya Pradesh; Manipur; Sikkim; Tamil Nadu; Telengana; Uttarakhand; Uttar Pradesh; West Bengal). Pakistan. Introduced and established in New Guinea ( Rao et al. 1971). CABI’s datasheet (2021a) on H. maindroni mentions that it is present in Papua New Guinea, probably based on Rao et al. (1971). Sreedevi et al. (2020) wrongly mentioned that “ H. maindroni got established in India from New Guinea to bring control of hibiscus mealybug ( Rao et al. 1971)”.

Immature stages. The larva ( Fig. 3a–f View FIGURE 3 ) is fleshy, somewhat spindle shaped with a median bulge and narrowed at both ends. It is usually greyish with powdery wax coating or pruinosity on the dorsal surface ( Fig. 3b–f View FIGURE 3 ) and rarely pinkish ( Fig. 3a View FIGURE 3 ) with white waxy coating. The larvae have a characteristic mode of feeding and usually burrow into the ovisacs of mealybugs ( Fig. 3e View FIGURE 3 ) and also feed on the other stages. The pupa ( Fig. 3g View FIGURE 3 ) is yellowish to pinkish red in colour and enclosed in medially longitudinally split open larval exuvium and is similar to the type found in the tribes Noviini and Chilocorini .

Prey / associated habitat. It is primarily a predator of mealybugs ( Pseudococcidae ) ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ), but also recorded in association with aphids ( Rafi et al. 2005; Chakrabarti et al. 2012; Iqbal et al. 2019). In South India, it is commonly collected in association with various mealybugs and aphids infesting brinjal ( Solanum melongena L.) ( Chatterjee 1954) and parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) (unpublished data).

The following prey have been recorded in the literature: Aphididae : Aphis fabae Scopoli , Aphis gossypii Glover , Aphis spiraecola Patch (as A. citricola van der Goot ), indeterminate aphids on Eupatorium sp. ; Pseudococcidae : Antonina graminis (Maskell) , Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell) , Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell) , Coccidohystrix insolita (Green) , Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green) , Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead) , Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley , Planococcus lilacinus (Cockerell) , Pseudococcus corymbatus Ayyar , Pseudococcus sp. , Rastrococcus iceryoides (Green) , Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell) , Trabutina (as Naiacoccus ) sp. Associated with aphids on Cestrum nocturnum , Colocasia esculenta , and Ageratum conyzoides ( Chakrabarti et al. 2012) .

Associations based on label data: Associated with mealybugs and aphids infesting guava, sugarcane, mesta, cotton, banana, Boehmeria sp. , coconut, Tribulus terrestris , and Rhodes grass; Collected on infestations of Coccidohystrix insolita on brinjal, Solanum torvum , and other solanaceous plants; solenopsis mealybug on banana, parthenium and cotton; on cassava mealybug (label data).

Biology. Many workers have studied the biology of H. maindroni in India. Puttarudriah & Channabasavanna (1955, 1956, 1957) provided brief notes on its biology, hosts and associated host plants. Rawat & Modi (1969) studied its biology on F. virgata . Fand et al. (2010 a, b) studied its biology on solenopsis mealybug in the laboratory and found it to be a promising candidate. It is found almost throughout the year in South India. Puttarudriah & Channabasavanna (1957) found it to be active during summer months (March–May) on various hosts, particularly Boehmeria sp. , in and around Bangalore. Collected during January–February, June–August, September–November (South India), June and October (from Assam), and March (Bihar) (label data).

Natural enemies. Homalotylus turkmenicus Myartseva ( Hymenoptera : Encyrtidae ) is a common gregarious endoparasitoid of H.maindroni ( Fig. 5 View FIGURE 5 ). Unusually high levels of larval parasitism (65.67–80.95%) by H.turkmenicus were observed in South India and are probably having an adverse effect on the natural control of cassava mealybug, an invasive pest recently introduced in India ( Gupta et al. 2020; Sreedevi et al. 2020). Ghani & Muzaffar (1974) recorded H. flaminius (Dalman) as a parasitoid of H. maindroni . Metastenus concinnus Walker ( Hymenoptera : Pteromalidae ) ( Fig. 6 View FIGURE 6 ) is a pupal parasitoid of H. maindroni (label data; Gupta et al. 2021). Two more parasitoids, Aprostocetus sp. (Eulophidae) and Chartocerus sp. (Signiphoridae) , have been recorded in association with H. maindroni ( Gupta et al. 2021) , the latter being a hyperparasitoid.