EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ENTOMOLOGY

Eur. J. Entomol. 123: 165-174, 2026 | DOI: 10.14411/eje.2026.017

The first termitophilous ladybird beetle: Scymnus (Pullus) tshunsii sp. n. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) from Microcerotermes nests in ThailandOriginal article

Ryōta SEKI ORCID...¹, Wei-Ren LIANG ORCID...², Sasitorn HASIN ORCID...³, Chun-I CHIU ORCID...⁴, Munetoshi MARUYAMA ORCID...^{5, *}

¹ Entomological Laboratory, Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironment Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan; e-mail: sekiryo090601@gmail.com

² MICRODO Ltd., Taichung City, Taiwan; e-mail: leif2051@gmail.com

³ Innovation of Environmental Management, Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University under the Royal Patronage, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 13180, Thailand; e-mail: hasinsasi@gmail.com

⁴ Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand; e-mail: chuni.chiu@cmu.ac.th

⁵ The Kyushu University Museum, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan; e-mail: dendrolasius@gmail.com

Termite nests host diverse symbiotic arthropods (termitophiles), many of which exhibit specialized morphological and behavioral adaptations to life within termite colonies. While numerous beetle families include well-known termitophiles, an association with termites has not yet been recorded in the family Coccinellidae (ladybird beetles). Here, we report the discovery of Scymnus (Pullus) tshunsii Seki, Liang & Maruyama, sp. n., based on adults and larvae collected from nests of Microcerotermes crassus Snyder, 1934, in Chiang Mai and Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, with additional adults captured at light traps. Although the adult morphology is typical for free-living Scymnini, the larva exhibits a highly unusual, soft-bodied, glabrous body form closely resembling termite workers - an apparent case of convergent evolution also seen in termitophilous rove beetles, scarabs, and phorid flies. The stark contrast between adult and larval morphology suggests stage-specific adaptations, with larvae more intimately integrated into the termite nest environment. Collecting adults at light traps indicates nocturnal dispersal, likely to locate new host colonies. This discovery represents the first confirmed termitophilous ladybird beetle and indicates that termite nests may support previously unrecognized ecological associations within Coccinellidae.

Keywords: New species, predators, Scymnini, taxonomy, termite

Received: October 16, 2025; Revised: April 17, 2026; Accepted: April 17, 2026; Published online: May 14, 2026  Show citation