14. Nephus sp. nr. roepkei Fluiter, 1938

(FIG. 16)

Brief description: FORM (FIGS 16A, b) ElONGAtE OVAl, DORSUM MODERAtElY cONVEX AND DENSElY PUbEScENt. HEAD AND PRONOtUM DARk bROWN tO blAck, ElYtRA bASAllY AND lAtERAllY blAck, DIScAl AREA REDDISH bROWN. ANtENNA cOMPOSED OF 10 ANtENNOMERES. AbDOMINAl POStcOXAl lINE INcOMPlEtE. MAlE GENItAlIA (FIGS 16D–F) AS IllUStRAtED.

Notes: THIS SPEcIES WAS cOllEctED FROM WESt BENGAl IN ASSOcIAtION WItH M. hirsutus AND EXtERNAllY It IS SIMIlAR tO S. nubilus AND SEVERAl OtHER SPEcIES OF ScYMNINI . THE MAlE GENItAlIA OF tHIS SPEcIES APPEAR tO bE SIMIlAR tO tHAt OF N. roepkei, bUt tHE ADUlt RESEMblES S. nubilus . THE ADUlt OF tHE tYPIcAl FORM OF N. roepkei IllUStRAtED bY PANG & GORDON (1986) HAS A PAIR OF ElONGAtE SPOtS ON tHE ElYtRA AND It IS NOt clEAR IF tHIS IS A VARIANt OF tHE SAME AS SUFFIcIENt NUMbER OF SPEcIMENS cOUlD NOt bE StUDIED. THE INDIAN SPEcIES OF Nephus ARE POORlY kNOWN AND A lARGER, SYStEMAtIc REVISION OF tHE ENtIRE GROUP IS NEEDED bEFORE All tHE SPEcIES cAN bE RElIAblY IDENtIFIED.