17. Illeis cincta (Fabricius, 1798)

(FIG. 19)

Brief description: LENGtH 4.00–4.68 MM, WIDtH 3.05–3.60 MM. FORM (FIGS 19A, b) ElONGAtE OVAl, MODERAtElY cONVEX, GlAbROUS. HEAD (FIG. 19c) PAlE cREAM tO cREAMY YEllOW WItH EYES MORE bROADlY SEPARAtED tHAN tHOSE OF I. bistigmosa . ANtENNA (FIG. 19D) ElONGAtE, cOMPOSED OF 11 ANtENNOMERES WItH A lOOSElY jOINtED 3-SEGMENtED clUb. MAXIllA (FIG. 19E) WItH tERMINAl PAlPOMERE APIcAllY GREAtlY EXPANDED AND tRANSVERSE. PRONOtUM WItH A PAIR OF MEDIAN blAck SPOtS ON POStERIOR MARGIN; ANtERIOR AND lAtERAl MARGINS tRANSPARENt, lAtERAl MARGINS SlIGHtlY UPtURNED. ElYtRA bRIGHt lEMON YEllOW WItH tRANSPARENt lAtERAl MARGINS. VENtRAl SIDE UNIFORMlY YEllOWISH. AbDOMINAl POStcOXAl lINE (FIG. 19F) APIcAllY REcURVED, VERY SHORt AND INcOMPlEtE. MAlE GENItAlIA (FIGS 19H–j) AS IllUStRAtED.

Notes: THIS IS tHE MOSt PREDOMINANt SPEcIES OF cOccINEllID ON MUlbERRY IN PENINSUlAR INDIA AND IS MOSt AbUNDANt IN tHE POSt-MONSOON AND WINtER SEASONS. MIXED POPUlAtIONS OF bOtH I. cincta AND I. bielawskii ARE FOUND ON MUlbERRY IN AND AROUND BANGAlORE, KARNAtAkA. It IS cOMMONlY FOUND FEEDING ON VARIOUS POWDERY MIlDEWS cAUSED bY Phyllactinia corylea, Podosphaera (=Sphaerotheca), AND Oidium SPP., INFEStING SUNFlOWER, NIGER, MUlbERRY, Linum usitatissimum, Xanthium strumarium, cOWPEA, cHIllIES, Pedulanthus SP., Etc. (GHORPADE 1976). MAHIMA SANtHI & PRASANNA KUMAR (2010) WRONGlY REPORtED It AS A PREDAtOR OF MUlbERRY MEAlYbUG.