Paralecanium macrozamiae (Fuller)

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 : 107-109

Paralecanium macrozamiae (Fuller) stat. rev.

( Fig. 44 )

Lecanium macrozamiae Fuller, 1897a , 6; 1897b, 1345. Type data: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia, on Macrozamia frazeri (Zamiaceae) . Syntypes, female. Type depository: USNM.

Lecanium (Paralecanium) frenchii macrozamiae ; Cockerell & Parrott, 1899, 227. Change of status.

Paralecanium frenchii macrozamiae ; Fernald, 1903, 199. Change of combination.

Material examined. Syntype ff: WESTERN AUSTRALIA: left label: On / Macrozamia / frazeri / Swan R. / W.A. / 1897; right label: Lecanium frenchii / var. macrozamiae / Fuller / (types) / 511 (USNM): 1/6 adff (g-p, mostly heavily sclerotised and rather poorly cleared. This slide almost certainly represents part of the type series). Envelope states: Brain Coll. # 511.

Note. The description is based mostly on the best specimen.

Slide-mounted adult female. Body oval, slightly more pointed anteriorly than posteriorly. Length 3.5–3.8 mm, width 2.1–2.6 mm.

Dorsum. Derm rather uniformly sclerotised apart from areolations with darker borders; areolations largest nearer margin, becoming smaller and more obscure medially. Marginal radial lines pale, with 11 lines anteriorly between anterior stigmatic clefts, a short line from each cleft, each side with 3 lines between clefts and 11 on abdomen. Abdominal clear areas present but hard to see on young specimens and obscured by dermal folds in oldest specimens. Dorsal setae each elongate and more or less parallel-sided but sometimes slightly clavate with a blunt apex, each 13–15 µm long, most frequent submarginally and submedially, where possibly in a sparse polygonal pattern; absent medially. Large dorsal pores, each 5–6 µm wide with distinct micropores, present in loose submedial bands extending anterolaterally from anal plates to head, each band with perhaps 25–30 pores, possibly in a sparse polygonal pattern. Minute simple pores very sparse, each associated with a pale spot on sclerotised dorsum, not obviously in a polygonal pattern. Anal plates together elongate, each with 1 seta near middle of each inner margin and perhaps 1 small seta near apex; also with 2 or 3 small pores medially; length of plates 170–195 µm, combined width 112–128 µm. Anogenital fold with 1 pair of small setae along anterior margin, each lateral margin with 1 pair anteriorly and another posteriorly.

Margin. Marginal ornamentation represented by 1 (rarely 2) darker areas between marginal setae. Marginal setae fan-like and somewhat oval, each with rather straight sides; width of each fan 25–33 µm, length 20–27 µm; with about 85–95 setae anteriorly between anterior stigmatic clefts, each side with 33–43 setae between stigmatic clefts, and 75–88 along abdominal margin. Stigmatic clefts narrow and fairly deep, each with a sclerotised inner margin and 3 slightly clavate stigmatic spines; median spine much the longest, often strongly bent, each 45–48 µm long, each lateral spine 23–25 µm long. Eyespots each more or less round; greatest width of socket 50–60 µm; diameter of lens about 20 µm.

Venter. Mature adults with a broad, darker marginal band about 175–190 µm wide, with darker “fingers” extending medially for about 1/3rd of band width. Multilocular disc-pores in groups on either side of genital opening and on preceding segment only, each side with 16 or 17 in abdominal segment VII and a total of about 60 in segment VI (only visible on 1 specimen). Spiracular disc-pores present in a narrow band between margin and each spiracle, with 19–22 pores in each band. Ventral microducts not detected (specimens too poorly cleared). Antennae well developed, each with 6 segments; total length 137 µm; apical segment about 60–65 µm long; apical seta each 8–9 µm long. Clypeolabral shield about 140 µm long. Spiracles of moderate size; width of each peritreme 33–37 µm. Legs well developed; dimensions of hind leg (µm): coxa 132, trochanter + femur 165, tibia 120 and tarsus 100, claw 17. Tarsal digitules slightly longer than claw digitules, with capitate apices; claw digitules both broad but 1 slightly broader than other; claw without a denticle; setal distribution: coxa 6; trochanter 1, moderately long; femur 2; tibia 2 and tarsus 3.

Comments. Paralecanium macrozamiae is quite similar to P. frenchii but differs as follows (character-states for P. frenchii in brackets): (i) the anal plates are much narrower, generally with a seta placed medially (broader, and no seta near middle of inner margin); (ii) the larger dorsal pores extend much further anteriorly onto the head, and each has large micropores (extend only to the metathorax, and each pore has small micropores), and (iii) the dorsal setae each have a blunt apex (flagellate).

Host-plant. Macrozamia frazeri (Zamiaceae) .

Figures

FIGURE 44. Paralecanium macrozamiae (Fuller), adult female