Mitrapsylla Crawford

Mitrapsylla Crawford, 1914: 134; Brown & Hodkinson, 1988: 61. Type species: Mitrapsylla albalineata Crawford, by original designation.

Description of adults by Brown & Hodkinson (1988).

Fifth instar immature (Fig. 168). Body elongate, 1.3–1.9 times as long as wide, weakly sclerotised. Antenna 8 or 9-segmented, sometimes division between segments 8 and 9 incomplete; sparsely beset with setae which are not longer than diameter of flagellum; bearing a single subapical rhinarium on each of segments 3, 5, 7 and 8. Dorsal body surface sparsely covered in moderately long setae. Forewing pad about half to three quarters of antennal length, oval, lacking humeral lobes; margin with short and long normal and weakly or distinctly capitate setae; dorsum with normal (Fig. 169) and/or indistinctly capitate setae (Fig. 170). Margin of hindwing pad with moderately long, imperceptibly or distinctly capitate setae; lacking sectasetae. Legs long, with a few long, very weakly capitate setae on tibiae and many short and long setae; tarsal arolium long, twice as long as claws, subtrapezoidal, with unguitractor and pedicel (Fig. 171). Abdomen suboval, broadly rounded terminally; caudal plate weakly sclerotised; abdominal margin with 4+4 truncate sectasetae which are grouped together, each on a small bump (Figs 168, 172–174), positioned on either side of circumanal rings close to the outer ring. Anus in terminal position; outer circumanal ring relatively large, indented medially, more or less expanding laterally, mostly onto abdominal dorsum (Figs 172–174), consisting, at least partially, of several rows of irregular, oval wax pores which are about twice as long as wide; extra pore fields absent.

Egg. About 0.2 mm long; oblong oval, about twice as long as wide; irregularly narrowing at apex which is subacute (Fig. 26). Judging from the few eggs we have seen in the cleared abdomina of females, it appears that the eggs are soft-shelled and only weakly sclerotised.

Comments. Mitrapsylla contains 15 valid described species, for five of which there are host records. Four species are reported from faboid legumes and one from a caesalpinoid legume. Here we describe nine new species from Brazil which are associated with Copaifera (confirmed or likely). Mitrapsylla minuticonis Brown & Hodkinson, a species described from Panama, is morphologically similar and probably closely related to M. copaiferae sp. nov., suggesting that it develops also on Copaifera . The immatures of only five species are known. Adults and immatures of Mitrapsylla can be identified with keys provided below.

The description of immature ‘ Mitrapsylla deserata Caldwell’ and hence the concept of Mitrapsylla by White and Hodkinson (1985) probably concern Heteropsylla huasachae Caldwell and Martorell (cf. Burckhardt & Brown 1992).