Pseudaonidia yateensis, 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 yateensis sp. n. Figure 16

Material examined.

Holotype: New Caledonia: 1 adult female (0.66 mm long, 0.51 mm wide): ex Citrus sp., Yaté, 18.xii.2013, S Cazères, 722 7, COCHE/40/17 (NHMUK). Paratypes: New Caledonia: 1 damaged adult female and 1 exuviae of second-instar on same slide as holotype (NHMUK).

Description.

Adult female, n = 2. Presumed to secrete scale cover. Body 0.62-0.66 mm long, broadest near anterior end of abdomen (0.51-0.54 mm); body outline roughly ovate.

Pygidium with four lobes on each side, each roughly rectangular in shape, longer than wide, each extending out from body margin approximately parallel to longitudinal body axis, with notch on lateral corner of apex, medial lobes each with additional notch on medial corner. Two fimbriate plates between medial lobes (L1), three between L1 and L2, three between L2 and L3, three anterior of L3. Pygidial margin serrate anterior to L3. Dorsum of pygidium with large medial sclerotic area, subtriangular, with lateral edges converging to base of L2 on each side, texture reticulate, becoming striate posterior of anus, area of membranous cuticle between L1 and L2 expanding cephalad and extending to anus. Two additional sclerotic areas on each side of the dorsum, each with striated texture, first area may be subdivided into two sclerotic patches, extending anterolateral from base of L3, separated from medial sclerite by membranous furrow, second area lateral of the first, with another membranous furrow between them. Anus lateromedially compressed (15 µm long, 7 μm wide) in posterior third of pygidium. One-barred macroducts mostly in sclerotic areas. Venter of pygidium with vulva in anterior half. One cluster of 22-24 perivulvar pores, anterolateral of vulva, a second cluster of 13-20 pores posterolateral of vulva; on one side of body of holotype, antero- and posterolateral clusters contiguous; on paratype, one pore present anteromedial of vulva. Microducts scattered along submargin.

Prepygidial segments Dorsum with hair-like setae scattered along submargin of head and thorax, one smaller seta in submedial area of mesothorax, metathorax and anterior abdominal segments, one long seta on posterolateral corner of each thoracic and prepygidial abdominal segment. One-barred macroducts dense along margin of abdomen. A few microducts intermixed. On venter, microducts scattered along submarginal areas of thorax and abdomen, a few near each spiracle. Antenna with one long seta. Anterior spiracle with cluster of 12-15 quinquelocular pores. Posterior spiracle without pores.

Comments.

The adult female of P. yatensis can be easily distinguished from that of P. nothofagi , by (1) having four groups of perivular pores (only two in P. nothofagi ); (2) having more pores near the anterior spiracle; (3) having most of the dorsal macroducts arise from sclerotic areas of cuticle; (4) lacking membranous teeth on margins on abdominal segments; and (5) lacking pygidial paraphyses.

Etymology.

The species epithet refers to its provenance, Yaté, in the South Province of New Caledonia.