Novius fulvescens

Novius fulvescens (Hoàng)

(Figs 11, 12)

Rodolia fulvescens Hoàng, 1980: 12.- Poorani 2002: 317.

Novius fulvescens: Pang et al. 2020: 19.

Diagnosis. Length: 2.10–2.60 mm; width: 2.00– 2.30 mm. Form (Figs 11a, b, 12a) broad oval, dorsum moderately strongly convex, densely pubescent.Both sides predominantly yellowish,to paler orange yellow; externally somewhat similar to R. amabilis, can be reliably identified only by the male genitalia (Figs 11c–e, 12c–e). Abdominal postcoxal line (Fig. 12b) complete, shallowly semicircular; posterior margin of abdominal ventrite 6 deeply emarginate in male. Female not studied.

Material examined. Bangladesh: Berampur, Dinajpur, 26.x.1993 /sp. F50, on Guajava sp., IIE 23003/male genitalia in vial/ Rodolia fulvescens Hoang, det. R.G. Booth 1994 (BMNH); Bangladesh: Dinajpur, 3.vi.1993, J. Rahman / Sp. D 18 on jackfruit IIE 22860/male genitalia in vial/ Rodolia fulvescens det. R.G. Booth, 1993 (BMNH); INDIA: Andaman Is., Port Blair, 26.vi.1993, M. Prashanth / Sp. 1776 Cent.Agr. Res. Inst. IIE 22991/male genitalia in vial/ Rodolia fulvescens Hoang, det. R.G. Booth, 1994/ Pres. By Int. Inst. Ent. BMNH (E) 1994-23, 1 ex. (BMNH).

Distribution. India (North-eastern region (Assam), Andaman Islands (Havelock) (Veenakumari & Mohanraj, 2007)); Bangladesh; Vietnam.

Prey/associated habitat. Collected on guava and jackfruit (label data); a predator of scales in Andamans (Veenakumari & Mohanraj 2007).

Notes. Hoàng (1980) described it from Vietnam. Veenakumari & Mohanraj (2007) mentioned it as present in Andaman Islands. Specimens from the Andamans and Assam were examined besides those in the collections of BMNH. It is more yellowish in coloration compared to the other Indian species of Novius and appears to have a limited distribution.