Identity of the 'true' Micraspis discolor (Fabricius) (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) with illustrated diagnostic notes on other Micraspis spp. in Indian paddy fields.

Micraspis discolor (Fabricius, 1798) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a widely studied complex of externally similar species, is known to be distributed in all the major rice growing countries of the Oriental region. It consists of disjunct populations that have been treated as a single taxonomic entity, but these are not conspecific and show disparities in their morphology. In this paper, we establish the identity of the true M. discolor based on Fabricius's type material from Tamil Nadu, Southern India, and redescribe it with illustrations of the diagnostic characters and the life stages. A lectotype is designated for M. discolor from Fabricius's type material (lectotype designation). Coccinella tenuilinea Walker, 1859, a sympatric species closely related to M. discolor and omitted from Korschefsky's World Catalogue of Coccinellidae, is transferred to Micraspis (new combination) and a lectotype is designated for it. It is found to be the most predominant species in South India and redescribed with illustrations of the genitalia and the life stages. COI sequences of M. discolor, M. tenuilinea and M. yasumatsui Sasaji based on the material collected in India are given. Phylogenetic analysis of the COI sequences of Indian M. discolor and other Asian 'M. discolor' sequences confirm that the Indian M. discolor is a distinct species and all Micraspis spp. from South and southeast Asian countries not matching the true M. discolor described here need to be re-examined and renamed if necessary. Brief illustrated accounts of other Micraspis spp. known from the paddy ecosystems of India are also given. Alesia guerini Mulsant, 1850, currently placed in Micraspis, is transferred to Oenopia Mulsant (new combination) and Coelophora walteri Sicard, 1913 is a new junior synonym of O. guerini (new synonym).

Slipinskiscymnus gen. nov., a new ladybird genus of Scymnini (Coleoptera, Coccinellidae) and notes on the taxonomic status of Keiscymnus Sasaji.

Slipinskiscymnus gen. nov. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) is proposed to accommodate two anomalous species of Scymnini, namely, Scymnus pallidicollis Mulsant, 1853 (= Slipinskiscymnus pallidicollis (Mulsant), comb. nov.) and Scymnus saciformis Motschulsky, 1858 (=Slipinskiscymnus saciformis (Motschulsky), comb. nov.) and five new species, Slipinskiscymnus confertus Peng et Chen sp. nov., S. siculiformis Peng et Chen sp. nov., S. spiculatus Peng et Chen sp. nov., S. interstricus Peng et Chen sp. nov. and S. keralensis Poorani sp. nov., described from China and India. A lectotype is designated for Scymnus saciformis Motschulsky, 1858 (lectotype designation). Descriptive accounts of these species with illustrations of adult habitus, male genitalia and other diagnostic characters are given with a key to species. Notes on the status of the genus Keiscymnus Sasaji, 1971, are also provided.

Harmonia manillana (Mulsant), a new addition to Indian Coccinellidae, with changes in synonymy.

BACKGROUND: Harmonia dunlopi (Crotch), a rare lady beetle species, was originally described from 'India' by Crotch (1874). But information on subsequent sightings of this species is absent and it has not been reported by anyone from India and its neighbouring countries ever since its original description. Because of this, Indian records of H. dunlopi were suspected to be probably misidentifications of H. dimidiata (F.), a species common in northern and northeastern India and also widely distributed in the Oriental region. NEW INFORMATION: A single male specimen of a species collected in recent surveys from Arunachal Pradesh, India, was suspected to be H. dunlopi. Comparison of this specimen with the collections at the Natural History Museum, London, confirmed that it belonged to Harmonia manillana (Mulsant), hitherto known from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Harmonia manillana is a highly polymorphic species with many synonyms and based on examination of the type material, the following nomenclatural changes are proposed. Harmonia dunlopi was found to be only a color variant of H. manillana and hence it is reduced to a junior synonym of H. manillana (syn. nov.). Harmonia decussata (Crotch 1874) is removed from synonymy with H. manillana and reinstated as a valid species (stat. rev.) and H. flavomarginata Bielawski 1968 is a new junior synonym of H. decussata (syn. nov.). This is the first record of H. manillana for India and South Asia. The male genitalia of H. manillana are illustrated and compared with those of H. dimidiata, the more common Indian species, to facilitate its recognition.