Axinoscymnus puttarudriahi Kapur & Munshi

Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Scymninae: Scymnini

Length 1.75-1.80 mm, width 1.10-1.20 mm. Body small, oblong oval to obovate, narrowed towards apex, and convex. Head, pronotum and ventral side pale golden yellow / yellowish brown; elytra dark brown to dull black with two large, oval, pale yellow median spots occupying most of disk. Head with large eyes and narrow frons, antenna (Fig. 1) eleven-segmented, maxillary palpi with terminal segment securiform (Fig. 2). Prosternum with narrow arms, prosternal intercoxal process (Fig. 4) broad with weak, apically convergent carinae. Postcoxal lines on abdominal ventrite I complete (Fig. 3). Tarsi three-segmented. Male genitalia (Figs. 6-8) characteristic, with very short median lobe and stout, short and curved sipho (Fig. 8); female spermatheca (Fig. 5) as illustrated.

 Figs.1-8. Axinoscymnus puttarudriahi: 1. Antenna; 2. Maxilla; 3. Postcoxal line on I abdominal ventrite; 4. Prosternal intercoxal process; 5. Female spermatheca; 6-8. Male genitalia: 6. Tegmen, lateral view; 7. Tegmen, ventral view; 8. Sipho.

     Adult, feeding on spiralling whitefly
   Larvae and pupa

India: Common in southern states (Lakshadweep Islands; Kerala; Karnataka; Tamil Nadu). Sri Lanka.

Species of this genus are known to be specific whitefly feeders. HEMIPTERA: Aleyrodidae: Aleurodicus dispersus Russell, Aleurocanthus spp. and Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius). Commonly associated with spiralling whitefly and other whiteflies infesting guava, cotton, curry leaf, Bauhinia purpurea, Cassia siamea, pomegranate and star gooseberry.

Collected almost throughout the year in and around Bangalore.