Diversity, Morphological Characterization and Feeding-Guild Structure of Coccinellidae Associated with Cotton Ecosystems in the, Marathwada Region of Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Coccinellidae are important components of cotton agroecosystems because many species prey on aphids, whiteflies, jassids and other soft-bodied arthropods, whereas some epilachnine ladybirds are herbivorous. The present study analyzes a field-identification dataset comprising 30 recorded coccinellid specimens from cotton ecosystems in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India. Specimens were characterized using field photography, external morphology and diagnostic elytral and pronotal patterns, with comparison against standard identification keys. The supplied dataset records Coccinella transversalis (1 specimen; 3.3%), Harmonia sp. (10; 33.3%), Cheilomenes sexmaculata (4; 13.3%), Epilachna/Illeis sp. (10; 33.3%), and five Coccinellidae specimens represented by immature or incompletely resolved stages (16.7%). Adults comprised 25 specimens (83.3%), while eggs, larvae, pupae and a newly emerged adult were also documented. The recorded feeding-guild classification comprised 15 predatory/beneficial specimens, 10 herbivorous/fungivorous specimens and five unidentified or immature specimens. Harmonia sp. and Epilachna/Illeis sp. were co-dominant in the supplied summary. The observations demonstrate that cotton foliage can support both beneficial predatory coccinellids and phytophagous/fungivorous forms, emphasizing the need for conservation-oriented integrated pest management. The study is primarily a morphological and descriptive inventory; it does not provide replicated seasonal abundance, prey-density, environmental, or experimental efficacy data. The source record contains two internal data inconsistencies in specimen numbering and identification-level totals, which are explicitly reported rather than silently corrected.