Icerya zimmermanni Green, 1932

Unruh, Corinne M. & Gullan, Penny J., 2008, Identification guide to species in the scale insect tribe Iceryini (Coccoidea: Monophlebidae), Zootaxa 1803 (1), pp. 1-106 : 99-100

Icerya zimmermanni Green

Icerya zimmermanni Green, 1932: 32 .

Unmounted material. Adult female brown, dorsal surface covered in thin, white secretion, subequal waxy projections around margin; ovisac appearing as a pad of wax secretion on ventral abdomen (adapted from Rao, 1951b).

Slide-mounted material. Adult female oval, 4.7–7.3 mm long, 3.5–5.1 mm wide. Antennae 11 segmented. Eyes, mouthparts and legs as for genus. Thoracic spiracles as for genus; derm around atrial opening and surrounding area scattered with simple multilocular pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 6–8 outer loculi. Hair-like setae sparsely scattered on dorsal surface, longest around margin, dense on ventral margin, around mouthparts and on ventromedial thorax. Flagellate setae distributed as for genus. Simple multilocular pores covering dorsal surface of two types: (i) larger pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter, with trilocular centre, 8–10 outer loculi and appearing stalked in profile, densest along median, especially on abdomen, and (ii) smaller pores appearing slightly bluish when stained, each pore 9–10 µm in diameter, with bilocular centre, 6–8 outer loculi and not appearing stalked, forming transverse rows across each segment. Simple multilocular pores similar to other dorsal pores, but not appearing stalked, each 12–13 µm in diameter with trilocular centre and 10–12 outer loculi, scattered around dorsal margin. Ovisac band 3–5 pores wide, made of simple multilocular pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter, with bilocular (sometimes trilocular) centre and 6–10 outer loculi. Simple multilocular pores, each 7–8 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 6–8 outer loculi, sparsely scattered around ovisac band. Simple multilocular pores, similar to genital pores, each 16–17 µm in diameter, with round centre and 10–14 elongate outer loculi, forming a submarginal band around venter and transverse row across venter of each thoracic segment. Simple multilocular pores, each 12–14 µm in diameter, with large bilocular centre (appearing bilobed) and 4 outer loculi, scattered on marginal to submarginal venter. Simple multilocular pores, each 7–8 µm in diameter, with bilocular centre and 4–8 slightly reniform outer loculi, scattered on ventromedial abdomen and head and sparsely scattered on ventromedial thorax. Vulva as for genus, surrounded by typical genital pores, each 12–13 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 12–16 outer loculi. Cicatrices elliptical to round, numbering 3, central cicatrix largest. Abdominal spiracles in 3 pairs. Anal tube as for genus; anal opening as for genus, surrounded by hair-like setae and simple multilocular pores, each pore 8–10 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 9–12 (sometimes reduced to 5 or 6) widely spaced, elongate outer loculi.

Type data. INDONESIA: Java, ex Melastoma sp .

Type material. Syntypes: ad ♀♀ (slides and dry material) ( BMNH).

Material examined. THAILAND: ad ♀, Phang Nga Province, Sri Phang Nga National Park, near Headquarters , 8°59’N, 98°27’E. 16.vi.2004 (P.S. Cranston) ( BME, CMU 080 ) ; ad ♀, Loei Province, Na Haew National Park, Headquarters , garden, ex legume ( Cassia ? sp.), 10.iii.2002 (P.S. Cranston) ( BME, CMU 023 ) ; INDONESIA: ad ♀, Lombok, Praja , ex Achras zapata , 21.v.1937 (R.H. LePelley) ( USNM) .

Taxonomic notes. Refer to the I. jacobsoni group for discussion of similar species.

In life, this species resembles I. aegyptiaca because both have marginal waxy projections. The waxy projections of I. zimmermanni are uniform in length, while those of I. aegyptiaca vary in length (longer anteriorly than posteriorly). Also, the ovisac of I. zimmermanni is a waxy pad of secretion on the ventral abdomen, while I. aegyptiaca secretes an ovisac which extends from the posterior end of the body. Icerya zimmermanni also has three ventral cicatrices ( I. aegyptiaca has a single cicatrix) and “peculiar bilobed” pores absent from the derm of all other species.

In Rao's (1951b) description of I. zimmermanni , he correctly described the types of pores seen on the derm of the adult female. His description of the distribution of these pores, however, is incorrect. Among the material we examined was a cut-open female and we were able to correctly determine the distribution of pores.

BMNH has a single slide with the correct type data with a poorly displayed adult or late-stage nymph (J.H. Martin, BMNH, pers. comm.). From Green’s original description, it is difficult to tell whether or not he looked at more than one specimen when describing this species .