Fernaldanna whita, 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

Fernaldanna whita sp. n. Figure 5

Material examined.

Holotype: New Caledonia: 1 adult female (0.84 mm long, 0.28 mm wide): ex undetermined host, Whita River area, 5.ix.1963, SW Brown, SWB accession 270 (USNM).

Description.

Adult female, n = 1. Body of holotype 0.84 mm long, broadest at metathorax (0.28 mm); body outline elongate.

Pygidium longer than wide; with two distinct lobes on each side. Median lobes wider than long, each with slightly rounded apex. L2 much wider (~2 ×) than L1. Pygidial margin anterior to L2 serrate, with narrow sclerotic straps. Distinct paraphyses not discerned. No plates between median lobes or between L1 and L2; one fringed plate lateral of L2. Anus in anterior third of pygidium. Dorsal macroducts two-barred, restricted to margin and submargin; one arising from pore prominence adjacent to medial base of L2, one in pore furrow above lateral subunit of L2, seven anterior of L2. Dorsum with distinct patches of sclerotic cuticle, one large medial patch broadest just anterior of anus, tapering caudally; 2-3 marginal patches and one near anterolateral corner of medial patch. Venter of pygidium with vulva close to level of anus. Perivulvar pores ~5 μm in diameter, in two distinct groups (anteromedial and anterolateral groups confluent on holotype); ~10 in posterolateral group, ~10 anterolateral and anteromedial of vulva.

Pre-pygidial segments. Dorsum with few, fine, hair-like setae along anterior margin of head and a few on submargin and medial areas of thorax and anterior abdominal segments. On venter, small macroducts scattered along margin and submargin, few in medial areas of meso-, meta-thorax, and anterior abdominal segments. Abdomen with fine, minute setae on submedian and margin of segments just anterior of pygidium. Antenna with one long fleshy seta. Anterior spiracle with 2-3 quinquelocular pores. Posterior spiracle without pores.

Comments.

The genus Fernaldanna MacGillivrary (1921), previously contained only the type species F. indentata (Green), described from Australia on an unidentified host. The pygidium of the adult female of the type species shares several features with that of F. whita : (1) few or no plates; (2) two pairs of lobes, L1 with rounded apex, L2 broader than long and much broader than L1; (3) one marginal macroduct between L1 and L2, one at lateral base of L2, and a few more anterior. In F. indentata pygidial plates are completely absent; in F. whita there is just one plate laterad of L2. Both species have pores near the anterior spiracle, but only F. whita has pervivular pores. The adult female of F. indentata is pupillarial. We are not sure if the same is true of F. whita .

Etymology.

The species epithet is taken from its provenance, the Whita River area. It is a noun in apposition.