Lepidosaphes caribaeae Williams and Miller

Miller, Douglass R., Williams, Douglas J. & Davidson, John A., 2006, Key to conifer-infesting species of Lepidosaphes Shimer worldwide (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Diaspididae), with descriptions of two new species and a redescription of L. pallidula (Williams), Zootaxa 1362, pp. 23-42 : 26-29

Lepidosaphes caribaeae Williams and Miller , n. sp.

( Fig. 1 )

Type material. Holotype adult female in BMNH, on slide labelled as follows: left label ‘ TRINIDAD, Valencia, Pinus caribaea , 24.v.1975 / F.D. Bennett. Right label HOLOTYPE / BMNH Lepidosaphes caribaeae’. In addition there are 8 paratype adult female specimens with same data (1 specimen in USNM, others in BMNH) and 9 paratype adult females labelled JAMAICA, Mt Airy Nursery, on Pinus caribaea, S.K. Kazimi , 2.vi.1975 (1 specimen in USNM, others in BMNH).

Description. Adult female on microscope slide elongate-oval, membranous except for pygidium, 0.54–1.00 (0.77) mm long, 0.25–0.35 (0.30) mm wide, head margin only gently rounded anteriorly, projecting and angled laterally, almost truncate, often forming rounded tubercle with 1 or 2 membranous protrusions, anterior portion of head with numerous minute spinules; sides of prothorax and mesothorax often sub-parallel, lateral margins of posterior segments moderately lobed on fully expanded specimens. Pygidium with 2 definite pairs of lobes, third and fourth lobes represented by slightly sclerotized areas with several small projections. Paraphyses present on medial and outer margins of median lobes, each a little longer than lobes and almost touching anteriorly; smaller paraphyses present on inner and outer margins of medial lobules of second lobes. Median lobes each 8–13 (10) µm long, 9–11 (10) µm wide, separated by a space 9–10 (10) µm wide (0.8–1.0 (0.9) times width of a median lobe), inner and outer basal margins straight, very slightly diverging, each inner margin with 1–2 (2) minute notches, outer margin with 1 notch, apex rounded. Second lobes bilobed, inner lobule usually with 1 outer notch. Gland spines each with single microduct. Gland spines between median lobes with inner and outer notches, slightly longer or equal to median lobes; gland-spine formula 1-1-2 or 2-1-2, gland spines between median and second lobes projecting beyond apex of each median lobe, and gland spine between second and third lobes longest, with apex about on same level as apices of inner gland spines. Smaller gland spines paired on lateral margins of abdominal segments forward to segments II or III, usually with 2 on each margin of segments IV and V, 3 gland spines on each margin of abdominal segment III; with tubercle-like gland spines as follows: 2 or 3 on segment II, 6–11 (9) on segment I and; 3–5 (3) on metathorax and 1 rarely on mesothorax. Macroducts of 3 main sizes, largest size present on pygidial margin, 1 duct in first space, 2 in second space, 3 on segments IV and V. Smaller paired ducts sometimes placed wide apart submarginally and submedially on segment VI (some specimens with 2 ducts submarginally only) and 2 on submargin of abdominal segment V. Other dorsal ducts present in marginal groups as far forward as metathorax or abdominal segment I and in submedial groups of 2 or 3 on abdominal segments II or III to V. Ventrally, ducts present on lateral margins of mesothorax, metathorax and abdominal segment I. An intermediate-size submarginal dorsal duct, narrower than small ducts but wider than microducts, present medially anterior to medial pair of gland spines, and a similar submarginal duct present anterior to inner lobule of each second lobe. Microducts present on venter singly or in pairs in submedial areas of abdominal segment VI and forward to metathorax and laterally on metathorax. Perivulvar pores in 5 groups, 3–6 (4) present in medial group, 4–8 (6) in each anterolateral group, and 2–5 (4) in each posterolateral group, total of 21–25 (24). Perispiracular pores, each with 3 loculi, usually present singly next to each anterior spiracle, or occasionally absent entirely. Anal opening 10–15 (12) µm in diameter, situated at base of pygidium, 100–130 (115) µm from base of median lobes. Lateral tubercle-like swellings present on anterior marginal lobes of abdominal segments II–IV, sometimes terminating in a sclerotized point, on abdominal segments II and III always with associated apical macroduct. Eye present on lateral protrusion on head. Antennae each with 2 enlarged setae. Without microducts near base of antennae.

Notes. This species is similar to L. pallida in many respects in the general distribution of dorsal ducts but, whereas L. pallida possesses only a single slender dorsal duct anterior to each second lobe, L. caribaeae also has a similar duct medially anterior to the gland spines between the median lobes. The widely-spaced dorsal submarginal ducts on abdominal segment VI in L. caribaeae are similar in position to those of L. murreeana and differ in position to the paired submedial ducts on abdominal segment VI in L. pallida . Furthermore, there are lateral swellings or tubercles on the margins of abdominal segments II–IV in L. caribaeae but only on abdominal segments III and IV in L. pallida . Sometimes these swellings in L. caribaeae have a minute sclerotized point at the apex, which is always absent in L. pallida . Although L. pallidula possesses lateral abdominal spurs on segments II and sometimes III, the submedial ducts on abdominal segment VI are at the base of the pygidium, near the anal opening, whereas in L. caribaeae the ducts are often widely spaced and submarginal in position. A striking character of L. caribaeae is the anterior head margin with numerous minute spinules similar to several other coniferinfesting species ( L. okitsuensis , L. piniphila , and L. pitysophila ).

Etymology. The name is based on the Latin genitive of the botanical plant epithet caribaea .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Lepidosaphes caribaeae Williams and Miller n. sp. Valencia, Trinidad, on Pinus caribaea, May 24, 1975, F. D. Bennett.