Parasaissetia nigra ( Nietner, 1861 )

Choi, Jinyeong, Soysouvanh, Pheophanh, Lee, Seunghwan & Hong, Ki-Jeong, 2018, Review of the family Coccidae (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) in Laos, Zootaxa 4460 (1), pp. 1-62 : 50-51

Parasaissetia nigra ( Nietner, 1861)

( Figs 45 , 46 )

Lecanium nigrum Nietner, 1861: 9 .

Diagnosis. Dorsum with anal plates each with 4 apical setae ( Figs 45D , 46E ); and preopercular pores present anterior to anal plates ( Fig. 46D ). Marginal setae with broadly fimbriate apices ( Fig. 46K ). Venter with multilocular disc-pores usually each with 10 loculi, mainly present around vulvar area ( Fig. 46F ); tubular ducts each with a narrow inner ductule ( Fig. 46G ); antenna 7 or 8 segmented (partially adopted from Williams & Watson 1990).

Material examined. 2 ♀♀, LAOS, Hadsayfong Dist., Vientiane Capital, 16.ii.2017, coll. P.P. Soysouvanh, on Cnidoscolus aconitifolius (Mill.) I.M. Johnst. (Euphorbiaceae) .

Hosts. Polyphagous. According to García Morales et al. (2016), P. nigra has been recorded from plants belonging to 242 genera in 92 families. In Laos, it has been found on Euphorbia sp. ( Euphorbiaceae ) and Musa sp. ( Musaceae ) ( Hodgson 1994).

Distribution. All zoogeographical regions; Oriental Region ( India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam) ( García Morales et al. 2016).

Economic importance. Hamon & Williams (1984) and Hodgson (2000) considered P. nigra to be a pest on diverse ornamental plants in tropical regions; it was also regarded as a potential pest of citrus and avocado ( Persea americana ) in California ( Smith 1944).

Remarks. Parasaissetia nigra is easily recognized by the following morphological combination: (i) dorsum with reticulated pattern; (ii) having 3 stigmatic spines; and (iii) lacking ventral tubular ducts in the medial area of the abdomen ( Hodgson 1994).

Figures

FIGURE 45. Parasaissetia nigra (Nietner, 1861). A, population of females in life; B, slide-mounted adult female; C, polygonal reticulations; D, anal plates. Scale lines for B = 0.5 mm; C = 50 µm; D = 100 µm.

FIGURE 46. Parasaissetia nigra (Nietner, 1861), adult female, from Williams & Watson (1990). A, dorsal tubercle; B, dorsal microduct; C, dorsal seta; D, preopercular pore; E, anal plates; F, multilocular disc-pore; G, ventral tubular duct; H, leg; I, ventral microduct; J, spiracular disc-pore; K, stigmatic spines and marginal setae.