Amyotea malabarica (Fabricius, 1775)
Synonyms:
Asopus rufus Azim & Shafee, 1982: 361 (Syn. by Thomas, 1994)
Taxonomic position
Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae
Diagnosis
- Mandibular plates as long as clypeus
- Pronotum with anterolateral margins with indistinct serrations; antero lateral angles of pronotum rectangular and unarmed.
- Humeri angulate, unarmed, scutellum triangular, longer than wide at base.
- Peritreme modified into peritremal disc (Fig. 3) as in other members of Asopinae.
- Basal abdominal sternite smooth, without spine/tubercle.
Male genitalia:
Paramere roughly sickle-shaped, distal end broadly expanded and rounded; Phallothecal rim expanded into collar-like; a pair of membranous conjunctival processes with apex sclerotized and pointed; aedeagus erect, short and tubular.
Female genitalia:
Apical receptacle of spermatheca large, orbicular without any finger-like processes.
Biology:
Freshly laid eggs are yellowish and after a day turns into orange brown; eggs are oval shaped with numerous spine-like projections; the operculum is demarcated by a row of elongate and white hair-like structures. Egg period: 10-11 days.
Host plants/Prey:
Myllocerus 11-pustulatus on cotton
Comments:
Colourmorphs of this species is noted in nature. The size and shape of black markings on head, pronotum, scutellum and hemelytra are variable.
References:
Atkinson, E. T. (1888) Notes on Indian Rhynchota, Heteroptera No. 3 & 4. Journal of The Asiatic Society of Bengal, 57, 1-72, 118-184, 333-345.
Azim, M. N. & Shafee, S. A. (1982) New descriptions, A new species of the genus Asopus (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). Journal of Bombay Natural History Society, 79(2), 361-362.
Chatterjee, N. C. (1934) Entomological investigations on the spike disease of sandal (24). Pentatomidae (Hemipt.). Ind. For. Rec., 20, 1-31.
Fabricius, J. C. (1775) Systema entomologiae sistens insectorum classes, ordines, genera, species; adjectis synonymis, locis, descriptionibus et observationibus. Flensburgi et Lipsiae, xxxii + 832pp.
Salini, S, (2006) Faunistic studies on Pentatomidae (Hemiptera: Pentatomoidea) in Karnataka. M. Sc. Thesis, Department of Agricultural Entomology, University of Agricultural sciences, Bangalore. (Unpublished)
Salini, S. 2016. Redescription of predatory stink bug, Amyotea malabarica (Fabricius, 1775) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae: Asopinae). Journal of Biological Control, 30(4): 240-247.
Salini, S and Viraktamath, C. A. 2015. Genera of Pentatomidae (Hemiptera: Pentatomoidea) from south India–An illustrated key to genera and checklist of species. Zootaxa, 3924 (1): 1–76.
Thomas, D. B. (1994). Taxonomic synopsis of old the world Asopine genera (Heteroptera: Pentstomidae). Insecta Mundi., 8(3-4), 145-212.
