Protothea quadripunctata (Mulsant)

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 : 253-255

Protothea quadripunctata (Mulsant)

( Figs 181 , 182a–d )

Thea quadripunctata Mulsant, 1853: 155 (Type locality: l’Asie? collect. Motschulsky”).

Thea quadripunctata: Mulsant 1866: 148 ; Crotch 1874: 134; Korschefsky 1932: 560.

Protothea quadripunctata: Mader 1933: 287 ; Iablokoff-Khnzorian 1982: 542; Poorani & Ślipiński 2005: 329.

Protothea indica Weise, 1910: 44 (Type locality: Sikkim, India).— Korschefsky 1932: 570. Synonymized by Mader 1933: 287.

Nedina mirabilis Hoang, 1984: 68 .—Synonymized by Poorani & Ślipiński 2005: 329.

Diagnosis. Length: 2.85–3.25 mm; width: 2.45–2.70 mm. Form short oval, dorsum moderately convex and glabrous except head pubescent with silvery white hairs. Ground colour of dorsal side bright yellow, head and pronotum creamy yellow, pronotum with a roughly M-shaped, indistinct pale brown marking in the middle, anterior and lateral margins transparent; each elytron with four black spots in the nominate form ( Fig. 182b ), spots fused to form larger maculae ( Fig. 182c, d ) or totally absent ( Fig. 182a ); elytral margins transparent. Ventral side yellow except mesepimeron creamy yellow, prosternal intercoxal process, mesoventral process, metaventrite, and median portion of abdominal ventrites 1 and 2 dark pitchy brown to black; prosternal intercoxal process occasionally paler in anterior half, luteous to reddish brown, with only apical and lateral borders dark pitchy brown to black. Prosternal intercoxal process ( Fig. 181e ) prominent, pyriform with long white hairs and a pair of marginal carinae. Male genitalia ( Fig. 181k–m ) and spermatheca ( Fig. 181j ) as illustrated.

Distribution. India: North-eastern region (Assam, Nagaland, Sikkim); Vietnam; Thailand; Myanmar.

Prey / associated habitat. Collected in association with Ceratovacuna lanigera Zehntner ( Hemiptera : Aphididae : Hormaphidinae ) on sugarcane (label data).

Seasonal occurrence. Collected during November–December and February (label data).

Note. See Poorani & Ślipiński (2005) for detailed description with illustrations.

Figures

FIGURE 181. Protothea quadripunctata (Mulsant): a. head; b. antenna; c. mandibles; d. maxilla; e. prosternal intercoxal process; f. abdominal postcoxal line; g. terminal ventrites, male; h. terminal ventrites, female; i. tarsal claws; j. spermatheca; k–m. male genitalia: k. tegmen, ventral view; l. penis; m. penis apex.

FIGURE 182. a–d. Protothea quadripunctata (Mulsant), polymorphic forms; e–g. Protothea decemguttata (Hoang) (ZSIK): e. dorsal view; f. lateral view; g. ventral view.