Review of the Mada adusta species-group (Coleoptera: Coccinelloidea: Coccinellidae), with description and natural history of a new species from northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Summary: The three species of the Mada adusta species-group (Coccinellidae: Coccinellinae: Epilachnini) are revised, and Mada gregaria Celante & Santos n. sp. is described from Brazil (Bahia, Casa Nova and Pilão Arcado). All four species are included in a dichotomous taxonomic key, and an updated distribution map is provided. Mada gregaria Celante & Santos n. sp. is the first species of the genus confirmed to occur in the Caatinga Dominion and represents the first documented association of an Epilachnini species with a member of the Loganiaceae family, feeding on Strychnos rubiginosa A. DC. Field observations revealed adult aggregations, oviposition behavior, and evidence of dormancy adaptation to seasonal resource scarcity. These findings contribute novel biological and ecological data for the genus and broadening its knowledge and extending its known distribution into seasonally dry tropical ecosystems.