First record of two Pentatomidae bugs from Chandoli area,
Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India
Hemant V. Ghate 1, Girish P. Pathak2, Yogesh Koli 3 & Ganesh P. Bhawane 4
1Head, 2 Student, Department
of Zoology, Modern College, Shivajinagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411005, India
3Research Fellow, 4 Professor of Zoology, Department of
Zoology, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra 416004, India
Email: 1 hemantghate@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 pathak.giri172@gmail.com,3 yogesh14_1985@rediffmail.com, 4 drgpbhawane@rediffmail.com
Date of publication (online): 26
April 2012
Date of publication (print): 26
April 2012
ISSN 0974-7907 (online) |
0974-7893 (print)
Editor: Alex
Ramsay
Manuscript
details:
Ms # o2920
Received 21 August 2011
Final received 16 January 2012
Finally accepted 24 March 2012
Citation: Ghate,
H.V., G.P. Pathak, Y. Koli & G.P. Bhawane (2012). First record of two
Pentatomidae bugs from Chandoli area, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa4(4): 2524–2528.
Copyright: © Hemant
V. Ghate, Girish P. Pathak, Yogesh Koli & Ganesh P. Bhawane 2012. Creative
Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this
article in any medium for non-profit purposes, reproduction and distribution by
providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication.
Acknowledgement:Authors
are grateful to the authorities of Modern College, Pune for facilities and
encouragement. We also thank the personnel from the Forest Department (Chandoli),
for granting permission to work and collect insects near Chandoli National
Park. Thanks are also due to the authorities of Shivaji University, Kolhapur,
for providing facilities.
Casual collection of bugs from shrub vegetation near Chandoli
National Park, Kolhapur District, Maharashtra state revealed the presence of
two interesting pentatomid bugs. These two bugs have been identified as Andrallus spinidens (Fabricius,
1787) and Sabaeus humeralis (Dallas,
1851), based on information in Distant (1902). Both specimens are preserved in the Zoology Department,
Modern College (Reg.No. are B-75 and B-76, respectively for Andrallus and Sabaeus).
Andrallusspinidens (Pentatomidae: Asopinae)
is a well known predatory bug. Distant (1902), in ‘Fauna of British India’, had described it as Audinetia spinidens. The recent nomenclature
of Asopinae bugs has been given by Thomas (1994) and, accordingly,
the current valid name of this species is Andrallus spinidens. Distant (1902) mentions the
distribution of this bug in India from Sikkim, Assam, Khasi Hills, Bengal,
Ranchi and Bangalore. We have not
come across any published report of this bug from Maharashtra. This note extends the known distributional
range of this species to the north of India, although the bug is distributed
widely throughout southern Asia and is even found in ‘Malaya Archipelago’,
China, Japan, and occurring west to Turkey and more recently, Greece. It occurs
also in various parts of the Africa, Syria, Equatorial Guinea, Malawi,
Madagascar, Australia, North America and Central America (Distant 1902; Thomas, 1992, 1994 Pericart 2010).
This bug is pale brownish overall with a distinct colour pattern, and is somewhat elongate in appearance (Image 1). As an Asopinae member, the bug possesses
the typical robust and long rostrum with incrassated first joint. The diagnostic characters of this bug are: head long, lateral
lobes (jugae) slightly longer than median lobe (tylus), moderately
prolonged, head almost rectangular if eyes are not considered, coarsely
punctured, especially the lateral lobes, punctures on lateral lobes dark black
(Image 2). Antennae 5-segmented, 1stantennal segment short, not reaching apex of the head, antennal segments dark
brown with very fine setae, 4th and 5th segments with
ochraceous base. Pronotum with
anterior border concave behind the head but the posterior border more or less
straight, antero-lateral margin crenulate, lateral angles each produced in
straight subacute spines with a small spine at the base of long spine. Pronotum also distinctly sloping
anteriorly and convex in the basal region, with a somewhat raised, pale coloured impunctate line joining the two lateral pronotal angles (Images
3 a,b). Entire disc of pronotum
covered with coarse black punctures, which in the anterior 1/4thform a pattern in dense clusters around the calli, with heavy but distinct
punctures across the rest of the pronotum. Scutellum long and slender, coarsely punctured, triangular
gradually narrowing distally. The
dark punctures on scutellum are so numerous that it appears darker than
pronotum where punctures are well separated; a pale impunctate line extends
from the centre of the apical region to the distal end of the scutellum (Image
4). Corium shows dense black
punctures, appearing darker than pronotum, with a broad luteous stripe at the
side all along its length. Hemelytral
membrane smoky with darker parallel veins. The connexivum is dark brown to blackish, the external
margins of which are narrowly pale.
Ventrally, head is pale with coarse punctures; pro, meso and
metasternum are densely punctured, punctures are black in the lateral region
and light brown in the median region. A squarish area between fore and mid coxae is pale and impunctate. Sternum also with a median,
longitudinal and flattish carina. All legs are pubescent with very fine white hairs (Image 5). All legs have femora and tibia pale
yellow colored, while the tarsal segments are dark blackish-green, ventrally
femora coarsely punctured in all legs, anterior femora spineless. Abdomen coarsely punctured with a
series of dark median spots in the anterior most part of each abdominal
segment. Some spots elongate and
extend as a broad line up to or beyond the segment, 2nd abdominal
segment almost wholly covered with black punctures, spiracles and a series of
lateral spots close to spiracles, also black (Image 6). The rostrum is relatively stout, four
segmented, extends up to hind-coxae and is pale except at the tip which is
black (see Image 5).
Specimen examined: November 2010, one, coll. Y. Koli. The total length of the studied
specimen is 16.5mm (head to tip of the membrane), 14mm (head to end of the
body), and breadth between pronotal spines is 8.5mm.
There is only a single species described and illustrated under
the genus Audinetiain Distant (1902). It is also
easily recognizable because of its typical dorsal colouration. It is a carnivorous bug and a well
known biological control agent, especially on lepidopteran larvae (Manley
1982).
The other bug Sabaeushumeralis (Fig. 7) (Pentatomidae: Pentatominae) can be diagnosed due
to the following characters: body obovate, thickly and coarsely punctuate;
color dark or olivaceous green and shining on most parts of the body; head
inclined and narrowed anteriorly, with sinuate lateral margins, lateral and
median lobes of almost equal length. Lateral lobes of head and a small area behind each lateral spine,
reddish-ochraceous, a fine black line borders the outer margin of the lateral lobes while the median lobe
is distinguished from the lateral lobes by distinct black lines that extend in
length behind up to an imaginary line joining median point of the eyes. The dorsal side of the head is transversly
striated. A fine vertical line of
black punctures is present on the inner side of each ocellus, with a short
oblique line of black punctures in front of each ocellus (Image 8a). Antennae are dark green, with 3rd,
4th and 5th segments distinctly darker with basal parts
pale greenish. The 1stantennal segment reaches the tip of the head. Pronotum obliquely deflected anteriorly, with spine-like,
produced lateral angles (Image 8b). Anterior 1/4th region of pronotum distinctly pale green,
strongly contrasting with rest of pronotum ground colouration, the pale green
colour extending along the median lobe of the head (see Image 8b). Many punctures on pronotum, especially
on lateral spines and some parts of scutellum, are dark black. The area between
punctures shining green, almost like beetle elytra. Spines of the lateral pronotal angles are green with black
tips and possess a reddish ochraceous spot at the posterior margin (Image 9). Ventrally these spines are smooth, pale
green and with black tips (Image 10). Scutellum narrowed towards apex. Corium dark green, hemelytral membrane translucent pale green.
Ventral side is light green in lateral parts, pale cream in the
median region, especially in abdominal area. Legs are pale green. Fine, sparse punctures are present on some parts of the sternum. Mesosternum distinctly carinate. Rostrum green, except the tip which is
black, reaching beyond the 2nd abdominal segment. Tips of the posterior angles of each
abdominal segment dark black and produced as a minute spine (Image 11). A short, obtuse ventral abdominal spine
is present on II abdominal sternite.
Specimen examined: November 2010, one, coll. Y. Koli. The total length of the studied
specimen is 17.5mm (from head to tip of the membrane and 16mm to the tip of
abdomen) and breadth between pronotal spines is 15mm.
The species Sabaeushumeralis is the only species described in Distant’s Fauna
(1902). According to Distant, the
bug is known from Assam and also from Burma (now Myanmar), extending east to
China and this find represents a significant southwesterly addition to its
known range in India.
It appears that these two species are an addition to the known
species of Pentatomidae from Maharashtra, at least on the basis of distribution
given by Distant (1902). We are
not aware of any previous, published checklist/specific surveys for
Pentatomidae of Maharashtra. We
feel that extensive surveys and taxonomical works on bugs in Maharashtra are
likely to add further to the known number of Pentatomidae species.
We hope that the digital images of the prominent characters,
provided with this note, will help any naturalist in identifying these bugs.
References
Distant, W.L. (1902). The Fauna of
British India including Ceylon and Burma - Rhynchota—Volume 1 (Heteroptera).Taylor and Francis, London, 438pp. (Indian Reprint Today and Tomorrows Printers
and Publishers New Delhi 1977).
Manley, G.V. (1982). Biology and life history of the rice field predator Andrallus spinidens F.
(Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), Entomological
News 93: 19–24.
Pericart, J. (2010). HemipteresPentatomoidea Euro Mediterraneens 3: Podopinae et Asopinae. Faune
de France 93. Federation Francaise des Societes de Sciences Naturelles, Paris,
291pp.
Thomas, D.B. (1992). Taxonomic
Synopsis of The Asopine Pentatomidae (Heteroptera) of The Western Hemisphere.Thomas Say Monograph 16, Maryland, 156pp.
Thomas, D.B. (1994). Taxonomic synopsis of the Old World asopine genera
(Heteroptera: Pentatomidae). InsectaMundi 8(3–4): 145–212.