Nephus regularis (Sicard)

Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Scymninae: Scymnini

Length 1.6-1.8 mm, width 1.2-1.4 mm. Form short oval, moderately convex. Head and pronotum yellowish brown. Elytra light yellowish brown, area along basal margins and suture darker, often with a distinct dark patch. Antenna (Fig. 1) 10-segmented. Maxilla (Fig. 2) with terminal segment cylindrical / parallel-sided, apical margin obliquely truncate. Prosternal process (Fig. 3) broader than long, without carinae and finely punctate. Postcoxal line (Fig. 4) incomplete, parallel to posterior margin of first abdominal ventrite for up to 4/5^th of its length and then very slightly recurved, area enclosed by postcoxal line with evenly distributed punctures, slightly smaller near line. Male genitalia (Figs. 5-7) as illustrated, median lobe of tegmen slightly asymmetrical.

Pang & Gordon (1984) provided a redescription of this species with illustrations of the male genitalia.


Figs. 1-7. Nephus regularis: 1. Antenna; 2. Maxilla; 3. Prosternal intercoxal process; 4. Postcoxal line on abdominal ventrite 1; 5-7. Male genitalia: 5. Tegmen, ventral view; 6. Tegmen, lateral view; 7. Sipho.

   Adult
   Adults feeding on Coccidohystrix insolita (Green) on egg plant

Widespread in India (Andhra Pradesh; Assam; Karnataka; Madhya Pradesh). Pakistan.

HEMIPTERA: Aleyrodidae: Aleurodicus dispersus Russell. Aphididae: Aphis gossypii Glover, Brevicoryne brassicae (Linnaeus), Lipaphis pseudobrassicae (Kaltenbach) (as L. erysimi (Kaltenbach)), Rhopalosiphum maidis (Fitch). Coccoidea: Coccidohystrix insolita (Green), Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell), Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green), Nipaecoccus (as Pseudococcus) filamentosus (Cockerell), Planococcus minor (Maskell) (as P. pacificus Cox), Pseudococcus sp., Pulvinaria (as Chloropulvinaria) polygonata Cockerell, Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell); associated with Chorizococcus sp. Commonly associated with mealybug and spiralling whitefly infestations on Bauhinia purpurea, brinjal, guava, gliricidia, mango, Boehmeria, etc.

Present throughout the year in and around Bangalore, usually in small numbers (Puttarudriah & Channabasavanna, 1957); particularly active during June-October.

Homalotylus quaylei Timberlake (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae).