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Type: Article
Published: 2014-12-24
Page range: 592–600
Abstract views: 36
PDF downloaded: 2

Ladies in stripes: taxonomic confusion in a potential mimicry complex among Wallacean Coccinellidae (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

College of Environment and Plant Protection, Hainan University, No. 58 Renmin Avenue, Haikou 570228, China.
Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, Poland.
State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation of Guangdong Higher Education Institute, College of Ecology and Evolution, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China.
Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO National Research Collections Australia, GPO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
Entomology taxonomy new species Wallacea Cucujoidea Chilocorini Coccinellini mimicry complex

Abstract

Two species of ladybird beetles, one belonging to Phrynocaria Timberlake (Coccinellni) and the second to Chilocorus Leach (Chilocorini) collected by R.A. Wallace in the Maluku Islands (Indonesia) have identical body size and colour pattern with longitudinal stripes on elytra. Their external features were so similar that G.R. Crotch included both of them in the type series of Chilocorus wallacii Crotch, 1874. The specimen designated as the lectotype of Chilocorus wallacii belongs to Phrynocaria. Coelophora wallacii Crotch, 1874 is also transferred to Phrynocaria (new comb.) and becomes senior homonym and Phrynocaria crotchi new name is proposed for the secondary junior homonym. Chilocorus crotchi sp. nov. is described for the taxon misidentified as Chilocorus wallacii Crotch.