Novius breviusculus
Creators: name: Poorani, J.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Coccinellidae
Novius
Novius breviusculus

description: Novius breviusculus (Weise)
(Figs 7, 8)
Rodolia breviuscula Weise, 1892: 26.- Korschefsky 1931: 99.- Kapur 1949: 536.
Novius breviusculus: Pang et al. 2020: 18.
Diagnosis. Length: 3.25–4.00 mm. Form oval, dorsum strongly convex and pubescent (Fig. 7a). Uniformly reddish or orange-testaceous on both sides, punctation on elytra very fine, close and occasionally almost obsolete. Ventral side reddish-testaceous, metaventrite darker. Abdominal postcoxal line (Fig. 7b) complete, shallowly semicircular. Last abdominal ventrite broadly emarginate in female (Fig. 7c), narrowly and more deeply emarginate in male (Fig. 7b). Can be reliably differentiated from the more commonly collected R. amabilis only by the male genitalia (Fig. 7d–h), particularly the shape of the penis guide (Fig. 7e, f) and the parameres that are setose only in the apical one–third. Spermatheca (Fig. 7i) as illustrated, distally enlarged and bulbous.
Material examined. INDIA: Karnataka, Coffee Res. Stn, 17.i.1991 /no. 32, pred. of coccid on casuarina, IIE 21624/male genitalia and abdomen in glass vial/ Rodolia breviuscula Ws. Det. R.G. Booth 1991 /Pres. By Int. Inst. Ent. B.M. 1991-1 (BMNH); 2 females on same card with abdomen removed and glued to the same card point (BMNH); S. India/Shevaroys: Yercaud, 21 Apr–1 May 1913, 4500ft, Y.R. Coll. Pred. on a Monophlebus on Crepthsina/ Rodolia breviuscula Weise, A.P. Kapur det. 1947/19/Pres. By Com. Inst. Ent. B.M. 1955-49, 1 ex (BMNH); Ceylon: Peradeniya, Ceylon, 1-1910/ Rodolia breviuscula Wse., 2 ex; Ragalla, Ceylong, 10.xi.17/4301/ predatory on Icerya purchasi /Pres. By Imp. Bur. Ent./1919-30, 1 ex; Ceylon, Ragalla, 10.xi.17, J.C. Hutson/Predatory on Icerya purchasi /4301/Pres. By Imp. Bur. Ent., 3 ex.; Peradeniya, Ceylon, Dec. 1918 /Bred from Icerya purchasi / Novius roseipennis, Muls. Det. G.A.K.M. /Pres. By Imp. Bur. Ent./ Rodolia breviuscula Weise, A. P. Kapur det. 1947, 2 ex (BMNH).
Distribution. Common in south India (Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu); Sri Lanka; Myanmar; Thailand; China; Oriental region; Introduced into Guam and Marshall Islands (Micronesia).
Prey/associated habitat. Aleurodicus dispersus Russell; Icerya aegyptiaca (Douglas), Icerya purchasi Maskell (Puttarudriah & Channabasavanna 1957); Icerya spp., Monophlebus sp.; collected on Acalypha sp., casuarina (label data). Found feeding extensively on Labioproctus polei (Green) infesting Thevetia neriifolia in and around Bangalore (Puttarudriah & Channabasavanna 1953, 1955).
Seasonal occurrence. Commonly collected during March–August, November–December in South India.
Natural enemy. Homalotylus flaminius (Dalman).
Notes. Kapur (1949) described it in detail and illustrated the genitalia. It is mentioned as commonly present in South India (Puttarudriah & Channabasavanna 1953, 1955, 1957) but it is likely that the most common species in peninsular India, N. amabilis, is commonly misidentified as N. breviusculus (see note under N. amabilis about the wrong illustration of spermatheca by Kapur 1949). In extensive field collections from different parts of south India, I came across only N. amabilis and N. fumidus in large numbers and N. breviusculus appears to be rarely collected. Puttarudriah & Channabasavanna (1953, 1955, 1957) provided brief notes on this species and Subramaniam (1955) studied its biology.
Male genitalia of specimens examined from north-eastern India that are close to N. breviusculus (Fig. 8b–e) have a narrower penis guide (Fig. 8c, d) and the penis apex has small serrations (Fig. 8e). Additional material of N. breviusculus is required to clarify its status.
description: Published as part of Poorani, J., 2023, A review of the tribe Noviini (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) of the Indian subcontinent, pp. 1-47 in Zootaxa 5311 (1) on page 11, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5311.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/8089905