Reniscymnus Peng & Chen 2025, gen. nov.
Creators: name: Peng, Feng
name: Tang, Mingjie
name: Wang, Xingmin
name: Chen, Xiaosheng
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Coccinellidae
Reniscymnus

description: Reniscymnus Peng & Chen gen. nov.
Type species.
Reniscymnus cordatus Peng & Chen, sp. nov.
Etymology.
The generic name is derived from the generic name Scymnus and the memory of the late Prof. Ren Shunxiang from South China Agricultural University, a well-known Chinese entomologist who devoted most of his life to the study of Coccinellidae and biological control. Gender masculine.
Diagnosis.
Reniscymnus gen. nov. presents some characters found in other genera of Scymnini (especially Sasajiscymnus, Slipinskiscymnus and Axinoscymnus). But the new genus can be easily distinguished from the latter by the following characters: frons narrow, less than the width of an eye (Fig. 1 A) (vs. wide, more than the width of an eye in Sasajiscymnus and Slipinskiscymnus); antenna composed of 8 antennomeres with a distinctly swollen scape and pedicel, antennomeres 5–8 forming a fusiform and inflated club and the terminal antennomere with two extremely long setae (Figs 1 C, 3 I) (vs. 9 antennomeres in Sasajiscymnus; 10 antennomeres in Slipinskiscymnus, and 11 antennomeres in Axinoscymnus); terminal maxillary palpomere slightly narrows apically (Figs 1 D, 3 J) (vs. expanded apically in Sasajiscymnus; Slipinskiscymnus and Axinoscymnus); prosternal process with carinae slightly convergent anteriorly (Fig. 1 A) (vs. complete carinae parallel, joined anteriorly forming square in Sasajiscymnus; narrow carinae in Axinoscymnus); abdominal postcoxal lines incomplete, strongly recurved toward the base of ventrite 1 but not reaching it, the area enclosed by abdominal postcoxal lines distinctly wide (Figs 2 D, 3 D) (vs. incomplete, generally parallel to the posterior margin of ventrite 1 in Sasajiscymnus; complete in Slipinskiscymnus and Axinoscymnus); penis guide subconical with a pointed apex (Fig. 2 I – J); parameres rather short with few long setae (Fig. 2 I – J).
Description.
Body elongate oval, color lighter and yellowish, dorsum moderately convex, covered with uniform short setae (Fig. 2 A – C).
Head transverse; frons relatively narrow, less than the width of an eye (Fig. 1 A). Eyes large, rounded without eye canthus, finely faceted with short interfacetal setae; inner ocular margin arcuate (Fig. 1 B). Clypeus short, and expanded laterally, not covering antennal insertions, anterior margin slightly convex (Fig. 1 B). Labrum exposed. Antennae short with 8 antennomeres (Figs 1 C, 3 I); scape stout, widened and curved apically with several long setae; pedicel longest, swollen and barrel-shaped, as wide as scape; scape and pedicel combined nearly as long as antennomeres 3–8; antennomere 3 distinctly narrowed at base, recurved and turgidly expanded apically; antennomere 4 recurved, expanded apically; antennomeres 5–8 forming fusiform and inflated club with many short setae, and terminal antennomere trochiform with two extremely long setae (Figs 1 C, 3 I). Mandibles bifid apically, with well-developed molar tooth (Figs 1 E, 3 K). Maxillary palp 4 - segmented; palpomere 1 short, ring-like; palpomere 2 elongate, widened apically; palpomere 3 subtriagular and compact at inner margin; terminal palpomere slightly narrowing apically, apical margin slightly obliquely truncate (Figs 1 D, 3 J). Maxilla with cardo round and laterally not expanded. Mentum narrowed basally, parallel-sided in basal third, widened apically, anterior margin of mentum weakly arcuate (Figs 1 F, 3 L). Labial palp 3 - segmented, terminal palpomere nearly as long as penultimate one (Figs 1 F, 3 L).
Pronotum transverse with anterior corners roundly produced. Scutellar shield triangular and distinctly tiny (Fig. 2 A). Elytra with humeral calli distinct, with apex sharply rounded. Prosternum with narrow procoxae anteriorly, prosternal process wide and subquadrate, carinae widely separated, slightly convergent anteriorly, reaching anterior prosternum margin (Fig. 1 A). Mesoventrite transverse with a truncate anterior margin; Mesocoxal process wide, slightly wider than width of corresponding mesocoxal diameter. Meso-metaventral junction visible, forming straight line. Metaventrite weakly convex, metaventral postcoxal lines widely separate medially, roundly recurved and complete laterally (Fig. 1 A). Discrimen visible. Elytral epipleuron incomplete, reaching posterior margin of abdominal ventrite 1, without foveae (Fig. 1 A).
Legs short, extending a little beyond lateral margins of elytra; trochanters wide, deviously and angulately produced externally; femora relatively slender; tibiae rather slender, about 1 / 2 as wide as femur, without apical spurs; tarsi with 3 tarsomeres, tarsomeres 1 and 2 lobed, tarsal claws with sharp basal tooth (Figs 1 G, 3 M).
Abdominal processes transverse, distinctly wide. Ventrite 1 distinctly longer than ventrite 2, in middle almost 2 times length of ventrite 2 (Figs 2 D, 3 D). Abdomen with six ventrites in both sexes. Abdominal postcoxal lines incomplete, strongly recurved toward base of ventrite 1 but not reaching it, posteriorly extending more than half of length of ventrite 1 (Figs 2 D, 3 D), area enclosed by abdominal postcoxal lines distinctly wide.
Male genitalia. Relatively long, penis slender (Fig. 2 E); apex of penis modified with membranous appendages (Fig. 2 F); tegminal strut stout with a finger-like protrusion at apex. Penis guide stout, subconical with a pointed apex in inner view, parameres rather short with few long setae (Fig. 2 I – J).
Female genitalia. Coxites shortened without styli (Figs 1 I, 3 O); spermatheca short and recurved with shortened cornu and swollen ramus and nodulus (Figs 1 H, 3 N).
Distribution.
China (Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan); Laos.
Remarks.
The species described in this study are distributed in the Oriental region. Interestingly, both new species of this genus exhibit a lighter body coloration similar to that of Axinoscymnus cardilobus Ren & Pang, 1992, which is in contrast to the darker or black body coloration among members of the tribe Scymnini.
description: Published as part of Peng, Feng, Tang, Mingjie, Wang, Xingmin & Chen, Xiaosheng, 2025, Reniscymnus gen. nov., a new genus of Scymnini (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) from the Oriental region, pp. 87-100 in ZooKeys 1226 on pages 87-100, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1226.130352