Montanococcus thriaticus, Henderson, Rosa C., 2007

Henderson, Rosa C., 2007, Three new genera and six new species of felt scales (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae) from mountain habitats in New Zealand, Zootaxa 1449, pp. 1-29 : 25-27

Montanococcus thriaticus sp. nov.

( Fig. 14 )

Live appearance: unknown.

Adult female only available life stage.

Description of adult female, measurements taken from 10 specimens ( Fig. 14 ).

Body elongate-oval, 0.3–0.37 mm wide, 0.6–0.74 mm long; derm membranous except for anal lobes, (some nodulation of derm presumed condition of young age to allow for body expansion). Eyespots present on margin at about level of antennal scape. Marginal setae 15–40 μm long, spinose, straight on abdominal segments, slightly sinuous on thorax and head margins, 1 per segment. Antennae 6-segmented, 100–127.5 μm long; segmentation between IV and VI indistinct, but setae in normal distribution for those segments; fleshy setae: all long, 1 each on segments IV and V, 3 on VI; flagellate setae: 3 on segment I, 2 on II, 3 each on III and V, 7 on VI. Labium 50–62.5 μm long, with 4 pairs of setae discernable. Anal lobes moderately sclerotised, wide at base, long, with lobules on inner margins; dorsal lobule at apex extending beyond normal apex as marked by displaced apical seta; width at base 55–87.5 μm, width at posterior lobule (LD2) 45–62.5 μm, length 87.5–125 μm; anal lobe setae lengths (μm): LD1 27.5–32.5, LD2 27.5–37.5, LD3 27.5–40, LV1 37.5– 55, placed nearer anterior margin of lobe than normal, apical seta ventral, 77.5–117.5, displaced to outer lateral margin; suranal seta long, flagellate, 82.5 μm long. Anal ring oval, ventral at base of anal lobes, with 1 row of cells and with 8 flagellate ring setae. Legs well developed; metathoracic coxa and femur without translucent pores; metathoracic coxa not larger than coxae of other legs; metathoracic leg lengths (μm): coxa 30– 37.5, trochanter + femur 80–92.5, tibia 35–47.5, tarsus 47.5–52.5, claw 20–25; claw without a denticle. Tarsal and claw digitules normal and subequal.

Dorsum. Dorsal setae spinose, with rounded to blunt points, of 2 distinct sizes: large setae 15–27.5 μm long, minute to short setae 5–10 μm long; distributed in rows of 4 long setae with a variable number of short setae; short setae fewer per row on abdomen and head than on thorax. Macrotubular ducts 18–23 μm long, distributed throughout dorsum except submedially on last 2 or 3 abdominal segments. Microtubular ducts 9–11 μm long, scattered over dorsum, and in a marginal line. Venter. Submedian abdominal setae nearly spinose at base and becoming very fine at apex, 7.5–25 μm long; with an inner submarginal abdominal line of spinose setae, 6–35 μm long, and an outer line of larger setae, 17.5–37.5 μm long. Macrotubular ducts absent. Microtubular ducts as for dorsum, with about 2 per segment submarginally on each side. Disc pores wide-rimmed, 5-locular, 3–4 μm wide, with a slightly raised centre; distributed in two submedian bands each side, 1–3 pores wide: anterior band extending from near antennal scape to anterior spiracle, with a gap between anterior and posterior spiracles, then posterior band extending from posterior spiracle to anterior margin of each anal lobe; with a few disc pores near each spiracle, near labium and each meso- and metacoxa. Vulva normal, located between segments VI and VII. Mesothoracic spiracles: length 25–27.5 μm, width across peritreme 12.5 μm; metathoracic spiracles: length 22.5–32.5 μm, width across peritreme 12.5-15 μm. With broad submedian bands of microtrichia on all abdominal and thoracic segments.

Comments. Diagnostic features of adult female M. thriaticus are: (i) ventral disc pores 5-locular (7-locular on M. graemei and M. petrobius ); (ii) disc pore band discontinuous between anterior and posterior spiracles; (iii) anal lobes without noticeable clefts between setae LD1 and LD2 on inner margin; (iv) apical seta displaced onto outer margin of each anal lobe; (v) anal ring setae flagellate (sword-shaped on M. graemei and M. petrobius ), and (vi) translucent pores absent from legs.

Type material. Holotype: female. NEW ZEALAND, CO, Rock & Pillar Range, Rock & Pillar Reserve, 2 km NE of Summit Rock, 1350 m, 2 Feb 2001, S Rate, pitfall trap, #02-281c: 1/1 young F.

Paratypes: as for holotype, #02-281a–b, d–j: 9/15 young FF

Other material examined: as previous except pitfall trap at edge of Chionochloa macra fragment ( Poaceae ), #04-166a–c: 3/8FF; as previous except 3 Mar 2003, pitfall trap in cushionfield, #04-170a: 1/ 1F.

Etymology. The specific epithet thriaticus is from Greek thria, meaning a pebble drawn from a divining urn, because this species was mostly collected from pitfall traps and was tag-named “pebbles”.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Montanococcus thriaticus sp. nov., adult female. Anal lobe setae LD 1 – LD 3, LV 1, SS as for fig. 1.