Pseudaonidia dugdali, Hardy, Nate B. & Williams, Douglas J., 2018

Hardy, Nate B. & Williams, Douglas J., 2018, Doubling the known endemic species diversity of New Caledonian armored scale insects (Hemiptera, Diaspididae), ZooKeys 782, pp. 11-47 : 11

Pseudaonidia dugdali sp. n. Figure 15

Material examined.

Holotype: New Caledonia: 1 adult female (1.64 mm long, 1.32 mm wide): ex Nothofagus aequilateralis, Pic du Pin, 6.x.1978, JS Dugdale, BM 19 7 (NHMUK). Paratypes: New Caledonia: 7 adult females (5 damaged by fungus) and 1 second-instar male on 8 slides: same data as holotype, BM 19 7, 16 (NHMUK, USNM, MNHN). Other material: New Caledonia: 1 adult female: same data as holotype, BM 19 16; 1 second-instar female: ex N. aequilateralia, Ridge of Pic du Amua, 26.x.1978, JS Dugdale, BM 19 24 (NHMUK).

Description.

Adult female, n = 8. Presumed to secrete scale cover. Body 1.22-1.53 mm long, broadest near posterior end of prosoma, that is, fused head and prothorax (0.82-1.01 mm); body outline roughly turbinate (head and thorax broad, abdomen tapering caudally), incised between pro- and mesothorax, each pre-pygidial abdominal segment with membranous tooth on margin, each tooth with seta at base.

Pygidium with three well-developed lobes on each side, each roughly rectangular in shape, with distinct longitudinal striations, notch on lateral corner of apex, small paraphysis extending longitudinally from near medial edge. Each lobe extending out from body margin approximately parallel to longitudinal body axis. A small sclerotic tooth anterolateral of L3 may represent L4. Two fimbriate plates between medial lobes (L1), two between L1 and L2, 2-3 between L2 and L3, 3 anterior of L3. Pygidial margin serrate anterior to L3. Dorsum of pygidium with large medial sclerite, subtriangular, with lateral edges converging to base of L2 on each side, texture reticulate, becoming striate posteriorly, short furrow of membranous cuticle between L1 and L2, not reaching anus. Two additional dorsal sclerites, each with striated texture, first extending anterolateral from base of L3, separated from medial sclerite by membranous furrow, second lateral of the first, with another membranous furrow between them. Anus small, lateromedially compressed (15 μm long, 10 μm wide) in posterior third of pygidium. One-barred macroducts mostly in membranous furrows between sclerites, orifice of posterior-most duct in each furrow with heavy sclerosis on one or both sides. Venter of pygidium with vulva in anterior half. One cluster of 12-18 perivulvar pores, anterolateral of vulva.

Prepygidial segments Dorsum with fine, hair-like setae decreasing in size posteriorly, scattered along submargin and mid line of head and prothorax, one in the submargin and one in the submedial area of meso- and meta-thorax, along with anterior abdominal segments. Microducts scattered along submargin of head and prothorax. One-barred macroducts present along margin of abdomen. On venter, microducts scattered along medial and submarginal areas of abdominal segments, a few near anterior spiracle. Antenna with one long seta, socket of second, short seta evident. Anterior spiracle with cluster of 4-6 quiquelocular pores. Posterior spiracle without pores.

Comments.

Cockerell (1897) erected Pseudaonidia for the species Aspidiotus duplex Cockerell. Prior to this work, 20 species were recognized, five of which are presumed to be endemic to Australia ( García Morales et al. 2016). Feng and Wei (2011) provide a diagnosis. Adult females of Pseudaonida have (1) a deep constriction of the body outline between the prothorax and mesothorax; (2) reticulations on the pygidial dorsum; (3) four pairs of pygidial lobes, each similar in shape and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body; (4) well-developed plates; (5) paraphyses present or absent; if present, short; (6) slender, one-barred dorsal macroducts, each with a sclerotic rim around orifice; (7) submarginal macroducts in pore furrows; (8) the antenna with one long seta; (9) quinquelocular pores near each anterior spiracle; (10) anus small, in posterior third of pygidium; (11) the vulva anterior to anus; and (12) perivulvar pores present or absent. The adult female of P. dugdaleii fits each of these specifications. It can be distinguished from its congeners by (1) having a membranous tooth-like projection on the posterolateral corner of each prepygidial abdominal segment, (2) lacking perivulvar pores posterior to the vulva, and (3) having macroducts near the posterior margin of pygidium with heavy sclerotization along one or both sides of the orifice.

We have excluded one adult female specimen from the type series, although it was part of the same collection event (and presumably from the same host plant). We also excluded this specimen from the description above. This specimen differs from the others in several ways. Specifically, it (1) is longer, 2.14 mm, 40% longer than the next longest specimen; (2) has more quinquelocular pores near the anterior spiracles (11, whereas the others have between 4 and 6); (3) lacks distinct marginal teeth on pre-pygidial abdominal segments; and (4) has a well-developed L4. In all other respects, it looks like the other females in the same lot.

Etymology.

The species epithet is a patronym in honor of John S. Dugdale, who collected much of the material on which this study is based.