Scientific name

Priscibrumus lituratus (Gorham) (Exochomus lituratus Gorham)

Taxonomic position

Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Chilocorinae: Chilocorini

Diagnosis

Length 4.14-4.56 mm, width 2.95-3.20 mm. Form (Plate) oval, weakly convex. Head and pronotum black. Elytra yellowish testaceous to reddish brown, with two lateral oblique black stripes starting from just below humeral callus, progressively broader and confluent near elytral apex. Ventral side black, except elytral epipleura yellowish brown. Elytral punctations close, coarse and deeply impressed, separated by less than a diameter. Male genitalia (Figs) and life stages (Plate) as illustrated.

Image

Distribution

India: Himachal Pradesh; Jammu & Kashmir; Sikkim; Uttar Pradesh. Pakistan. Nepal.

Prey / Associated habitat

HEMIPTERA: Aphidoidea: Adelges spp., Aphis cf. gossypii Glover, Aphis sp. ?fabae Scopoli, Dreyfusia (as Adelges) knucheli (Schneider-Orelli & Schneider), and Pemphigus sp. Distributed all over the fir forests between 2100 and 3500 m in northwestern India and Pakistan.

Seasonal occurrence

Active during February-July (Nagarkatti & Ghani, 1972); collected during November.

Natural enemy

Dinocampus coccinellae (Schrank).

References

  • Nagarkatti, S. & Ghani, M.A. 1972. Ecology and biology of predators. Coleoptera: Coccinellidae, pp.58-88. In: Studies on predators of Adelges spp. in the Himalayas (Eds. V.P. Rao & M.A. Ghani). Miscellaneous Publication No. 3, Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control, Indian Station.
  • Smith, S.G. 1965. Cytological species separation in Asiatic Exochomus(Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Canadian Journal of Genetics and Cytology 7: 363-373.