Synona Pope, 1989

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 : 262

Genus Synona Pope

Synia Mulsant, 1850: 375 . Type species: Synia melanaria Mulsant, 1850 , by subsequent designation of Crotch 1874: 177 (junior homonym).

Lemnia (Synia) : Iablokoff-Khnzorian 1982: 232.

Synona Pope, 1989: 660 (replacement name).— Poorani et al. 2008: 579; Ślipiński et al. 2020: 109.

Diagnosis. Medium to moderately large adults, all known species with orange-yellow head and pronotum and fully black elytra, rarely pronotum with a central black macula ( Figs 189 , 191c–f , 193f–j ). Dorsum hemispherical, strongly convex and dome like. Anterior margin of clypeus semicircularly emarginate between lateral projections. Anterior margin of pronotum trapezoidally emarginate and anterior angles narrowly rounded; sides arched and narrowly marginated. Scutellar shield triangular, about 1/6th as wide as elytral base, sides slightly incurvate. Elytra with sides moderately expanded laterally. Prosternal hypomera with clear, but small foveae on the anterior inner corners. Prosternal process with subparallel carinae, reaching up to nearly 3/4th of the anterior prosternal margin. Anterior margin of mesoventrite deeply and triangularly emarginate at middle; posterior margin with a rounded protrusion that fits into the emarginated anterior margin of the metaventrite. Elytral epipleura broad, outer half deeply descending externally and deeply foveate on level with meso-and metafemora. Legs with meso-and metatibiae having a pair of apical spurs. Abdominal postcoxal line incomplete, divided by an oblique associated line.

Distribution. Oriental and Australasian regions ( India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, Philippines, Indonesia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Australia) ( Poorani et al. 2008; Ślipiński et al. 2020).

Affinities. Tomaszewska et al. (2021) included Synona under the Coccinella- group of genera with Synona and Aiolocaria forming a well-supported subclade.

Biology. The species of Synona have unusual and rather restricted feeding habits. Species of this genus have been recorded as predators of Plataspididae (Hemiptera) ( Fig. 191a, b ) in India ( Poorani et al. 2008) and Australia ( Monteith 2006).

Included species. Three species are known from Indian mainland, Synona consanguinea Poorani, Ślipiński & Booth , S. melanopepla (Mulsant) and S. obscura Poorani, Ślipiński & Booth.

Figures

FIGURE 189. Synona melanopepla: a. adult, dorsal view; b. adult, lateral view; c. adult, frontal view; d. adult, variant with pronotal macula.

FIGURE 191. Synona melanopepla (Mulsant) and its prey in their natural habitat: a, b. nymph of plataspid bug; c–f. Synona melanopepla feeding on plataspid nymph (Photo credit: Pavan Ramachandra).

FIGURE 193. a–f. Synona obscura: life stages: a. eggs; b, c. larva; d, e. pupa; f. adult; g–j. Synona melanopepla (Mulsant), live adult.