Crypticerya genistae (Hempel)

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 : 30-31

Crypticerya genistae (Hempel)

Icerya genistae Hempel, 1912: 55 .

Crypticerya genistae (Hempel) ; Unruh & Gullan (2008: 26) .

Unmounted material. Adult female light brown, yellowish at anterior margin; antennae, legs and eyes dark brown, nearly black. Waxy secretion covering dorsal surface; wax tufts forming medial, submarginal and marginal longitudinal rows; tufts longest in middle and ends of each row; ovisac slightly striated and tapers towards posterior end (adapted from Hempel, 1912).

Slide-mounted material. Adult female elliptical, 3.0– 3.7 mm long, 2.3–2.6 mm wide (lectotype of 3.5 mm long, 2.4 mm wide). Antennae 11 segmented. Eyes, mouthparts and legs as for tribe. Thoracic spiracles as for genus; derm at atrial opening with 3–6 simple multilocular pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter, with bilocular centre and 8–10 outer loculi. Hair-like setae sparsely scattered on dorsal surface; longest setae forming submedial longitudinal row on dorsal surface, marginal clusters on each segment and between antennae. Flagellate setae distributed as for genus. Simple multilocular pores, each 11–12 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre, forming dorsal medial longitudinal row on head and thorax; similar pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter, with bilocular centre (less often trilocular) and 6–9 outer loculi, scattered on rest of dorsal surface and marginal to submarginal venter. Ovisac band present, formed by flagellate setae, each 90–120 µm long, with very round bases and by multilocular pores of two types: (i) pores forming inner ovisac band 7–9 pores wide, each pore 10–11 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 6–12 outer loculi, and (ii) pores forming outer band 3 or 4 pores wide, each pore 9–10 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 3–8 outer loculi and appearing slightly bluish when stained. Multilocular pores, each 11–12 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 4 or 5 outer loculi, scattered on ventromedial to submedial head and thorax. Simple multilocular pores, similar to vulvar pores and appearing slightly bluish when stained, each 12–13 µm in diameter, with bilocular centre and 4–8 outer loculi, scattered across medial to submedial abdomen. Vulvar opening as for genus, surrounded by typical multilocular pores each 12–13 µm in diameter. Cicatrices oval to round, numbering 3, subequal in size. Abdominal spiracles as for genus. Anal ring as for genus; anal opening as for genus, surrounded by hair-like setae and typical multilocular pores each 11–12 µm in diameter.

Type data. BRAZIL: São Paulo State, Campinas, in garden of Instituto Agronomico, ex Genista scoparia , Lespedeza striata and Fragaria sp.

Type material. Lectotype here designated: ad ♀, “ Icerya /genistae/no. 88 n. sp./ Campinas ,/ Brasil./ Feb. 26, 1903./Type. Hempel.” ( MZSP) . Paralectotypes: 3 ad ♀♀ (same slide as lectotype); additional material ( MZSP) .

Taxonomic notes. Three species ( C. genistae , C. palmeri and C. rileyi ) look very similar to one another, both macro- and microscopically, but they differ in two ways. First, they differ from one another by the shape of the pores forming the outer edge of the ovisac band. Specifically, those pores in C. littoralis generally have a bilocular centre and 4–6 outer loculi. In contrast, the pores of C. rileyi and C. genistae generally have a trilocular centre, but differ by the number of outer loculi: C. rileyi has 6–10 and C. genistae has 8–12. Second, they differ by the shape of the flagellate setae present in the ovisac band. The setae of C. genistae are dense, robust and have very rounded bases. In contrast, the setae of C. rileyi are shorter and stouter with slightly flattened bases and those of C. littoralis are very fine with completely flattened bases. Refer to C. littoralis group for further discussion of similar species.

The lectotype is the adult female on the upper left part of the slide when it is held to read the original label on the right side. The lectotype has a single hindleg and complete antennae. Hempel also described first-instar nymphs and eggs of this species, but we were unable to examine this material, which presumably is located at MZSP.