Protortonia quernea, Williams & Gullan, 2008

Williams, D. J. & Gullan, P. J., 2008, A revision of the Neotropical scale insect genus Protortonia Townsend (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Monophlebidae: Llaveiini), Journal of Natural History 42 (1 - 2), pp. 77-128 : 122-124

Protortonia quernea sp. nov.

( Figure 15 )

Adult female

Body on microscope slide membranous, broadly oval, about 7.35 mm long, 4.15 mm wide. Eyes each about 230 Mm long, 150 Mm wide. Antennae each about 2000 Mm long, with 11 segments; apical segment 250 Mm long, 140 Mm wide; all segments with flagellate setae each 175–200 Mm long, except for setae on apical segment each 80– 100 Mm long. Legs well developed; hind coxa 340 Mm long, hind trochanter + femur about 1260 Mm long, hind tibia about 1180 Mm long, hind tarsus about 550 Mm long; ratio of lengths of hind tibia +tarsus to hind trochanter +femur 1.37; ratio of lengths of hind tibia to tarsus 2.15; claws each 160 Mm long, with a few minute denticles and with short paired digitules; distal trochanteral setae each about 550 Mm long; inner tibial setae each about 50 Mm long; outer flagellate tibial setae each about 125 Mm long. Remains of clypeolabral shield and labium discernible between first coxae. Mesothoracic spiracles each about 300 Mm long, 190 Mm wide. Metathoracic spiracles each 300 Mm long, 220 Mm wide. Abdominal spiracles each about 30 Mm wide, 50 Mm long. Anal opening distorted in available specimen, about 110 Mm long, surrounded by about 30 flagellate setae mostly each 60 Mm long; inner ring of anal tube about 200 Mm wide. Cicatrices distorted; medial cicatrix at least 300 Mm long, 250 Mm wide; outer cicatrices each about 300 Mm long, 250 Mm wide.

Dorsal surface with abundant multilocular disc pores at least nine deep in submedial areas of abdominal segments; each pore about 12–13 Mm in diameter with oval centre and usually 10–12 outer loculi. Minute duct-like pores not discernible. Setae abundant, slender and flagellate, each mostly 50–75 Mm long, about 2 Mm wide at base with collar about 10 Mm wide at base and 5–8 Mm long; most segments with some thicker setae present, each about 140 Mm long, and setae lateral and posterior to anal opening each 110–150 Mm long; some very slender setae also present, each about 50 Mm long, with minute collars each about 2 Mm wide at base and 2 Mm long. Longest posterior marginal setae on abdominal segment VIII each about 500 Mm long, 10 Mm wide at base with collar about 35 Mm wide at base and 20 Mm long, accompanied by a shorter seta, about 300 Mm long; other marginal setae each about 325 Mm long and setae near head margin each 400–500 Mm long.

Ventral surface with abundant multilocular disc pores, similar to those on dorsum, each mostly with 12 outer loculi; pores around vulva each about 17 Mm in diameter, with 14–16 outer loculi. Setae similar to those on dorsum, each mostly 60– 110 Mm long in medial areas; many near margins each 90–100 Mm long; some thick setae also present, each about 140 Mm long, and in medial areas of abdomen some setae each about 250 Mm long; single setae next to each mid and hind coxa each about 300 Mm long, and setae lateral to outer cicatrices each about 350 Mm long; thick setae between antennae each about 465 Mm long and lateral to antennae each about 450 Mm long.

Material examined

Holotype adult female, COSTA RICA, Iraqu (on slope of volcano, 3000 m), on Quercus sp. ( Fagaceae ), 16.i.1926 (F. Nevermann) (BME).

Etymology

The specific name is a Latin adjective of Quercus , the host plant of this species.

Comments

This species is most similar to P. ecuadorensis but differs in the adult female possessing longer dorsal setae, each mostly 50–75 Mm long, whereas the dorsal setae of P. ecuadorensis are each only 30–40 Mm long. Moreover, the dorsal multilocular disc pores, which are abundant as in P. ecuadorensis , are about nine deep in the submedial areas of each abdominal segment, and each mostly with 10–12 outer loculi, including those around the anal opening. On the adult female of P. ecuadorensis , the multilocular disc pores around the anal opening contain mostly 15– 17 outer loculi. Also all pores on the adult female of P. quernea have an oval centre, whereas many pores on the head and anterior thorax of P. ecuadorensis have a trilocular or quadrilocular centre.

According to the slide label, the single adult female of this species was collected ‘‘Crawling on Quercus ’’. It is possible that this female was moving to locate an oviposition site, as similar behaviour has been recorded in P. near primitiva ( Schrader 1930) .

Figures

Figure 15. Protortonia quernea sp. nov., adult female.