Paralecanium morobeense Hodgson

Chris J. Hodgson & Douglas J. Williams, 2018, Revision of the soft scale genus Paralecanium (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) with the introduction of three new genera and twenty new species, Zootaxa 4443 (1), pp. 1-162 : 118-120

Paralecanium morobeense Hodgson spec. n.

( Fig. 49 )

Material examined. Holotype f: PAPUA NEW GUINEA: left label: Paralecanium [crossed out] / Podoparalecanium [crossed out] / Paralecanium / morobeense / Hodgson / Holotype f; right label: Lophopetalum sp. / tree crown at 100’ / (Celestraceae) / PAPUA NEW GUINEA: / Morobe Province, Coast / Buso / 26.x.1979, J.H. Martin #2764 (BMNH): 1/1 young adf (g). Paratypes: Papua New Guinea: data as previous (BMNH): 1/3 pupae.

Note. The description is based on the single specimen on which a few characters were unclear.

Slide-mounted adult female. Body slightly elongate, broadest across abdomen and more pointed anteriorly, and showing some asymmetry ventrally. Length 2.0 mm, width 1.3 mm.

Dorsum. Derm barely sclerotised, rather uniform throughout, with faint areolations submarginally, these fading medially. Marginal radial lines absent but indicated by distribution of setae and pores: with?9 on head between anterior stigmatic clefts, no lines from each cleft, each side with 3 between clefts and 11 on abdomen. Abdominal clear areas absent. Dorsal setae each quite large, straight, parallel-sided, some with a markedly capitate apex, others with a blunt apex, each about 8–14 µm long, longest medially, shortest near margin on abdomen; extremely sparse and not distributed similarly on each side of specimen; present throughout apart from medially. Dorsal pores perhaps of? 3 types: (i) a large pore, each about 4 µm wide with a sclerotised border, but perhaps lacking visible micropores; sparse, more or less in a submedial line from laterad of each anal plate to antennae, with about 10 on each side; (ii) a slightly smaller pore, perhaps 2 µm wide, without a sclerotised border, very scarce, only noted submedially on head and thorax; and (iii) a small oval pore-like structure present approximately where ventral submarginal line crosses radial lines but these pores present even when setae present, and possibly are not dorsal! (* in Fig. 49 ). Anal plates slightly longer than combined width; anterior margins slightly shorter than posterior margins; each plate with 1 seta medially and perhaps 3 minute setae near apex; length of plates about 96 µm, combined width about 70 µm. Anogenital fold with 1 pair of setae on anterior margin, each lateral margin with 1 small seta anteriorly and a larger seta at posterior end. Anal ring with 6 setae, each seta about 170 µm long.

Margin. Marginal ornamentation present in the form of rounded corrugations without fine radial lines, with usually 3 or 4 between marginal setae. Marginal setae broadly oval, each 29–35 µm wide and 20–25 µm long; with about 56 setae anteriorly between anterior stigmatic clefts, each side with 23–28 between stigmatic clefts, and about 58 along abdominal margin. Stigmatic clefts quite deep, each with a mildly sclerotised inner margin and 3 short spinose setae, each seta more or less parallel sided with a blunt apex; median seta longest but not nearly reaching margin, each 17–19 µm long, each lateral seta 8–12 µm long. Eyespots each with socket about 33 µm wide and diameter of lens about 23 µm.

Venter. Derm mainly membranous but with a marginal band about 60–85 µm wide, with darker “fingers-like” markings extending radially from margin. Multilocular disc-pores frequent on either side of genital opening and on preceding segment only; each side with perhaps 5 on abdominal segment VII and 18–20 on segment VI. Spiracular disc-pores present in a narrow sparse band between margin and each spiracle; with 9–13 in each band. Ventral microducts present but sparse. Ventral setae: with 2 pairs of interantennal setae; longer setae present medially on most abdominal segments, longest on segment VII; other setae scarce. Antennae each with 6 segments; total length 225 µm, apical segment about 58 µm long; setal distribution normal. Clypeolabral shield about 90 µm long. Spiracles small, width of each peritreme 16–18 µm. Legs well developed; segmentation normal; dimensions of hind leg (µm): coxa 75, trochanter + femur 108, tibia 63, tarsus 60; claw 10; tarsal digitules subequal in length to claw digitules; claw digitules different, one narrower than other; claw without a denticle; setal distribution: coxa 5 or 6; trochanter 1, femur 1, tibia 2 and tarsus 3.

Comments. Adult female P. morobeense are easily separated from other similar species ( P. hainanense , P. machili and P. neomaritimum ) in possessing stout, straight, parallel-sided dorsal setae, often with a capitate apex; the other species all have rather narrow dorsal setae that curve and appear to narrow slightly to a blunt apex.

Host-plant. Lophopetalum sp. (Celestraceae).

Name derivation. This species is named after the area in Papua New Guinea where this species was collected, Morobe Province .

Figures

FIGURE 49. Paralecanium morobeense Hodgson, spec. n., adult female. Where * refers to pore-like structure, which may not be dorsal.