Crypticerya palmeri (Riley & Howard)

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 : 37-38

Crypticerya palmeri (Riley & Howard)

Icerya palmeri Riley & Howard 1890b: 103 .

Crypticerya palmeri (Riley & Howard) ; Unruh & Gullan (2008: 26) .

Unmounted material. Appearance of adult female unknown.

Slide-mounted material. Adult female elliptical, 3.7–6.2 mm long, 2.8–5.0 mm wide. Antennae 9 segmented. Eyes, mouthparts and legs as for tribe. Thoracic spiracles as for genus. Hair-like setae distributed as for genus; longest setae forming marginal clusters and between antennae. Flagellate setae as for genus, densest around mouthparts. Multilocular pores, each 8–10 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 6–10 outer loculi, slightly clustered on dorsal median and scattered across dorsum, forming marginal clusters and scattered on ventral margin and submargin. Ovisac band present, formed by flagellate setae with slightly flattened bases, each 55–100 µm long, and simple multilocular pores of two types: (i) large pores, each 10–12 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre, forming inner band 5–7 pores wide, and (ii) smaller pores, appearing slightly bluish when stained, each 8–10 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 8–10 outer loculi, forming outer band 1–3 pores wide. Simple multilocular pores, each 8–10 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 4 or 5 outer loculi and appearing slightly bluish when stained, scattered on ventromedial head and thorax; similar pores, each 8–9 µm in diameter, with bilocular centre and 4 or 5 outer loculi, scattered across medial to submedial abdomen. Vulvar opening surrounded by multilocular pores, each 12–14 µm in diameter, with elongate centre and 10–12 outer loculi, and by hair-like setae, each 60–125 µm long. Cicatrix elongate to hourglass-shaped. Abdominal spiracles as for genus. Anal ring as for genus; anal opening surrounded by robust hair-like setae, each 100–138 µm long.

First-instar nymph as for genus, except each dorsal abdominal segment with one submarginal pore, one submedial pore and one medial pore, and 3 pairs of long, hair-like setae at abdominal apex.

Type data. MEXICO: Sonora, San José de Guaymas, 9 miles [14 km] North of Guaymas, ex Muscat of Alexandria grapevine [= Vitis vinifera ], 30.vii.1887 (E. Palmer) .

Type material. Lectotype here designated: 2 nd -instar nymph, “4274 Icerya /palmeri R.+H./ On Grape / San Jose de Guamas [sic],/ Mexico / Rec’d July 20, 1887 /22/6” ( USNM) . Paralectotypes: 2 nd- instar nymphs (several slides) “4274 Icerya /palmeri/Grape/San Jose de Guay-/mas Mex./Recd. July 30, 87” ( USNM) .

Other material examined. MEXICO: 2 ad ♀♀, Guaymas , 4.v.1897 (Koebele) (1 slide at USNM, 1 slide at BME) ; 3 ad ♀♀, La Paz , ex Acacia sp. , 17.i.1962 (F. Raney) ( BME) ; 1 ad ♀, 1 st- instar nymph, Baja California, San Jose del Cabo , ex undetermined host, vii.1919 (G.F. Ferris) ( BME) .

Taxonomic notes. Refer to the taxonomic notes of C. colimensis and the C. littoralis group for a discussion of similar species.

This species was described from immature specimens, but adult females were collected by Koebele in 1897 from the type locality and the present diagnosis is based on that material and the other material listed above.