Neochavesia iwokramae, Williams, 2010

Williams, D. J., 2010, A synopsis of the subterranean mealybug genus Neochavesia Williams and Granara de Willink (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae: Rhizoecinae), Journal of Natural History 38 (22), pp. 2883-2899 : 2888-2890

Neochavesia iwokramae sp. nov.

( figure 2 )

Description—adult female

Body elongate-pyriform, 0.90–1.04 mm long, head and thorax dilated, widest at about mesothorax, 0.36–0.45 mm wide, narrowing to abdominal segment IV. Remainder of abdomen gently tapering to expanded anal lobes; anal lobes together 150–155 M m long, 130–140 M m wide, anterior edge of lobes clearly separated at base on dorsum and venter from abdominal segment VIII by intersegmental line. Anal lobes forming a notch between them, each lobe rounded at apex, posterior inner edges diverging, inner edges of lobes not clearly defined, sclerotized, with medial areas on dorsum and venter membranous. Dorsum of each anal lobe with long slender setae numbering 30–35, longest about 130 M m long situated at posterior end, some about 65 M m long present at anterior end. Ventral surface of each lobe with fewer and shorter setae, mostly a little thicker than on dorsum. Anal ring almost triangular, with sclerotized rim, without cells or setae, 40–43 M m wide, 35–40 M m long, situated about midway between base of anal lobes and apex of abdomen, and about its own length or slightly more from base of notch between anal lobes. Antennae placed on ventral head margin, 300–320 M m long, each usually with five segments, shortest antenna with four segments; when five-segmented, second segment longest, 85–95 M m long, last segment with almost parallel sides then tapering apically, 75–80 M m long. Basal segment articulating with a small sclerotized prominence. Legs well developed; hind trochanter z femur 160–165 M m long, hind tibia z tarsus 125–130 M m long; tarsus tapering abruptly to long slender claw about 40 M m long, shorter than tarsus, with a pair of short setose digitules near base. Labium 105–115 M m long, longer than clypeolabral shield, with two pairs of setae on basal segment, terminal segment usually with six pairs of setae on anterior surface in addition to minute apical pair. Circuli numbering two situated in middle of abdominal segments II and III, each circulus round, truncate-conical, about 20 M m in diameter, projecting about 12 M m from surface of derm, apex 7.5–10.0 M m in diameter with internal cylinder, 20–25 M m long, rounded at inner end. Spiracles normal, with wide sclerotized apodemes. Eyes absent.

Dorsal setae on abdomen numerous, crowded, slender and flagellate, mostly about 25 M m long, with small collars, some setae with larger collars; setae on head and thorax flagellate, densely covering surface, 10–15 M m long, longer setae with slightly larger collars than shorter setae. Ventral surface of abdomen with similar setae to those on dorsum, a few also present on medial area of thorax. Short setae as on dorsum of head and thorax, crowded laterally on thorax. Other slightly longer and stouter setae present between antennal bases, numerous but not crowded. Pores and ducts absent entirely.

Material examined

HOLOTYPE: adult ”, Guyana, Iwokrama Forest , Whitewater Camp, 04 ‡ 43.890’N, 058 ‡ 50.992’W, in nest of Acropyga (Rhizomyrma) panamensis Weber , 7 November 2002 (coll. J. S. LaPolla) ( UGGG).

PARATYPES: Guyana, same data as holotype, five adult ””, one third-instar ”

( BMNH), three adult ”” ( USNM).

Etymology

The name is based on the collection locality, Iwokrama Forest, and is used here in the genitive singular meaning ‘of’ or ‘from’.

Comments

N. iwokramae is closely related to N. trinidadensis (Beardsley) , differing in only a few small characters. Although the second antennal segment in both species is the longest, in N. iwokramae it is only 85–95 M m long, whereas in N. trinidadensis it is conspicuously longer, 168–185 M m long. Also the terminal antennal segment in N. trinidadensis is short and bulbous, about 50 M m long, whereas in N. iwokramae it is about 75–80 M m long, with almost parallel sides, before tapering to an apical point. Furthermore, the dorsal setae on each anal lobe, posterior to the anal ring, number about 30–35 in N. iwokramae but in N. trinidadensis they are more crowded, totalling about 50. Moreover, whereas the dorsal and ventral inner margins of the anal lobes are clearly defined in N. trinidadensis , they are obscure in N. iwokramae . Besides, the anal ring in N. trinidadensis is about twice its length from the base of the notch between the anal lobes but in N. iwokramae the distance is only slightly longer than the length of the anal ring.

Figures

FIG. 2. Neochavesia iwokramae sp. nov. Adult female.