DISTRIBUTION, MORPHOLOGY, AND TAXONOMY OF COCCINELLIDS OF GENUS NOVIUS (COLEOPTERA: COCCINELLIDAE) WITH ONE NEW RECORD FROM UTTARAKHAND, INDIA

Coccinellids of Genus Novius Mulsant are predaceous ladybirds placed under the tribe Noviini of the sub-family Coccinellini belonging to the family Coccinellidae. The present work was conducted to study the distribution, morphology, and taxonomy of coccinellids of Genus Novius found in the agricultural sampling sites of the Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India. During this study, three species of the Genus Novius were recorded from the four sampling sites. The three recorded species of Genus Novius were Novius sexnotatus (Mulsant), Novius fumidus (Mulsant), and Novius amabilis (Kapur). N. sexnotatus, with 92 recorded individuals, was the most abundant species found in all four sampling sites. N. fumidus, with 47 recorded individuals, was reported from three study sites. N. amabilis (Kapur) was the least abundant species, with 14 individuals reported from the two study sites. N. sexnotatus was a medium-sized, oval ladybeetle with 4.60-4.90 mm length, 3.50-3.70 mm breadth, and three black spots on each bright reddish-brown elytron. N. fumidus was 4.50-5.00 mm long and 3.40-3.90 mm wide ladybird beetle with distinct brownish-black sublateral margins on dull reddish-brown elytra. N. amabilis was a tiny, bright reddish-brown ladybird of 2.50-2.70 mm length and 2.40-2.80 mm width with no spots on the elytra. N. amabilis (Kapur) was recorded for the first time from Uttarakhand.. KEYWORDS :Biocontrol Agents, Diversity, Novius, Novius amabilis, Predatory beetles