Scientific name

Rodolia fumida Mulsant (=Rodolia roseipennis Mulsant, Rodolia chermesina Mulsant)

Taxonomic position

Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Coccidulinae: Noviini

Diagnosis

Length 4.08-4.56 mm, width 3.36-3.66 mm. Form robust, elongate oval, narrowed towards apex in posterior half, dorsal side densely pubescent. Dorsal side more or less uniformly reddish brown, elytra sometimes with ill-defined darker patches. Antenna (Fig. 1) short, eight-segmented. Postcoxal plate on abdominal ventrite 1 (Fig. 3) shallowly semicircular, complete. Male genitalia (Figs. 4-6) as illustrated. Larva robust, ellipsoidal in outline and reddish brown. Pupa dark reddish brown.


Figs. 1-6. Rodolia fumida: 1. Antenna; 2. Maxilla; 3. Postcoxal line on abdominal ventrite 1; 4-6. Male genitalia: 4. Tegmen, ventral view; 5. Tegmen, lateral view; 6. Sipho

Images

    Adult
  Larva
   Pupa

Distribution

India: Andhra Pradesh; Karnataka; Kerala; Madhya Pradesh; Tamil Nadu; Uttar Pradesh.

Prey / Associated habitat

HEMIPTERA: Aleyrodidae: Aleurodicus dispersus Russell. Margarodidae: Drosicha mangiferae Green, Drosicha stebbingi (Green), Icerya spp., Perissopneumon ferox Newstead, Perissopneumon tamarindus (Green), Perissopneumon sp. Collected on sugarcane, mango, citrus, guava, erythrina, tamarind, palmyra palm, and ornamental plants such as Acalypha sp.

Seasonal occurrence

Collected during January-March, June-July.

Natural enemy

Homalotylus flaminius (Dalman) (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) and Oricoruna orientalis (Crawford) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae).

References

  • Kapur, A.P. 1949. On the Indian species of Rodolia Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research, 39: 531-538.
  • Kapur, A.P. 1951. Further notes on the Indian species of Rodolia Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Records of the Indian Museum 48: 1-7.
  • Rasheed, S., Mahmood, R. & Mohyuddin, A.I. 1986. Notes on the biology and population trends of Sumnius renardi Weise and Rodolia fumida Muls. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) and their potential as biocontrol agents of Drosicha stebbingi Green (Homoptera: Margarodidae). Proceedings, Pakistan Congress of Zoology, 6: 137-142.
  • Stebbing, E.P. 1903. Coleoptera 2. Notes upon the known predaceous Coccinellidae of the Indian region, Part I. Indian Museum Notes, VI(1): 47-62.
  • Subramaniam, V.K. 1954-55. Control of the fluted scale in peninsular India. Indian Journal of Entomology, 16: 391-415, 17: 103-120.