Parexochomus nigripennis (Erichson)

(Figs 57, 58)

Chilocorus nigripennis Erichson, 1843: 267 .

Exochomus nigromaculatus var. nigripennis: Crotch 1874: 192.

Exochomus flavipes ab. nigripennis: Korschefsky 1932: 255.

Exochomus nigripennis: Poorani 2002: 313.

Parexochomus nigripennis: Biranvand et al. 2017: 57.

Exochomus xanthoderus Fairmaire, 1864: 648 .— Biranvand et al. 2017: 57.

Diagnosis. Length: 3.50–4.50 mm; width: 2.60–3.50 mm. Form oval, dorsum moderately strongly convex and glabrous. Head and pronotum yellowish, elytra uniformly black, shiny (Figs 57a–c, 58a). Ventral side more or less uniformly yellowish brown. Abdominal postcoxal line nearly complete (Fig. 58b, c). Male genitalia (Figs 57d–g, 58d–g) as illustrated. Female genitalia (Fig. 57h) with elongate triangular coxites, infundibulum present; spermatheca (Figs 57i, h, 58h) as illustrated.

Distribution. India (New Delhi; north-western region); Pakistan (North West Frontier Province; Punjab; Sindh; widely distributed in the forests of northern Pakistan (Irshad 2001)); Afghanistan; Afrotropical and Mediterranean regions; Middle East; Africa.

Prey/associated habitat. Dactylopius confusus on Opuntia dillenii (Ahmad & Ghani 1972) . Ali et al. (2018) recorded it as a predator of Aphis fabae Theobald, Rhopalosiphum maidis Fitch, Parlatoria spp. and Ferrisia virigata (Cockerell) in Pakistan. Feeds on aphids and scale insects in Pakistan (Irshad 2001). Collected on tomato, tobacco, carrot, and sugarcane (label data).

Seasonal occurrence. Collected during April–July, and December (label data).

Notes. Kapur’s (1951 a: 292) record of E. flavipes from India is E. nigripennis (Poorani 2002) . Trehan & Malhotra (1959) reported it (as E. flavipes) as an aphidophagous species, that occasionally feeds on whiteflies and psyllids. Irshad (2001) recorded ‘ Exochomus flavipes ’ in Pakistan as feeding on Aphis fabae, Rhopalosiphum maidis, Dactylopius confusus, Parlatoria sp., Ferrisia virgata, and mites with notes on its bioecology and distribution.