Paralecanium elongatum 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 : 92-94

Paralecanium elongatum Hodgson spec. n.

( Fig. 37 )

Material examined. Holotype f: MALAYSIA: left label: Paralecanium / elongatum / Hodgson / Holotype; right label: WEST MALAYSIA / Pahang Prov. Tioman / Is., Kampung Tekek. / possibly Eugenia, / but not aromatic. Found on upper surface / of leaves. Ant att. / 17.ii.1985 / J.H. Martin #4507 (BMNH): 1/1adf (g but with some fungal hyphae). Paratype f: left label: Paralecanium / elongatum / Hodgson / paratype; right label: WEST MALAYSIA / Pahang Prov. Tioman / Is., Kampung Tekek. / possibly Eugenia, / but not aromatic. Found on upper surface / of leaves. Ant att. / 17.ii.1985 / J.H. Martin #4507 (BMNH): 1/1adf (fg, venter slightly damaged, with some fungal hyphae).

Note. The description is based on both specimens.

Slide-mounted adult female. Body elongate, slightly asymmetrical and about equally pointed at each end. Length 2.4–2.6 mm, width 0.95–1.03 mm.

Dorsum. Derm of both specimens rather uniformly sclerotised with faint oval areolations, each areolation 11– 18 µm at its widest, present throughout, those near margin often more or less in radial bands but becoming random medially; derm with numerous minute pale spots. Marginal radial lines indistinct, mainly indicated by distribution of dorsal setae, as follows: 11 lines anteriorly between anterior stigmatic clefts, each side with 3 between clefts (none from each stigmatic cleft) and 11 on abdomen. Abdominal clear areas absent. A sparse polygonal pattern suggested most obviously by distribution of dorsal setae and pores submarginally. Dorsal setae each 5–7 µm long, finely setose and distinctly curved, without a flagellate apex; only present in each marginal radial line, with 1–3 per line. Dorsal pores of perhaps only 2 sizes present: (i) large pores, each 5–6 µm wide, each with distinct micropores and a broad sclerotised margin, present submedially more or less in a line, with 8–10 pores in each line; plus (ii) smaller pores, indicated by small unsclerotised spots, each about 2 µm wide, present throughout, perhaps in a sparse polygonal pattern. Anal plates each with outer margin somewhat rounded; each plate with 1 small pore medially; only 1 anal plate seta detected, medially on inner margin; none noted near apex; length of plates 90–100 µm, combined width 68–73 µm. Anogenital fold with a pair of small setae along anterior margin, each lateral margin with 1 seta anteriorly, another medially and 1 posteriorly.

Margin. Marginal ornamentation present in the form of shallow sclerotised blocks along margin, with usually 2 or 3 between marginal setae. Marginal setae fan-shaped, strongly oval; width of each fan 28–35 µm, length 18–22 µm; with 67 setae anteriorly between anterior stigmatic clefts, each side with 21–24 setae between stigmatic clefts, and 50–55 setae along abdominal margin. Stigmatic clefts narrow but quite shallow, each with a lightly sclerotised inner margin and 3 blunt, parallel-sided stigmatic spines; median spine usually just the longest, each 21–32 µm, each lateral spine 20–25 µm long. Eyespots each more or less round; socket 19–24 µm across, diameter of lens 16– 18 µm.

Venter. Without a ventral marginal band. Multilocular disc-pores present around genital opening and on preceding two segments only, each side with 4 or 5 on segment VII; 10–12 on segment VI and 1 or 2 on segment V. Spiracular disc-pores very small, each about 2 µm wide with mostly 5 loculi, present in a narrow band between margin and each spiracle, with 9–12 pores in each band. Ventral microducts very small, not concentrated in a group just posterior to mouthparts but sparsely present throughout. Ventral setae: with 2 pairs of interantennal setae; a pair of long pregenital setae on abdominal segment VII (each seta 75 µm long), plus pairs of shorter setae medially on more anterior abdominal and thoracic segments; without a group of long setae on each side at anterior end of anal cleft; submarginal setae few and short; other setae very sparse. Antennae each 6 segmented; total length 260–265 µm; apical segment 33–38 µm long; apical seta short, about 8–12 µm long; segments IV and V each with a setose seta. Clypeolabral shield small, about 90–93 µm long. Spiracles small, width of each peritreme 15 µm. Legs well developed; dimensions of hind leg (µm): coxa 63–65, trochanter + femur 75–83, tibia 48–50, tarsus 48–50; claw about 5–7; tarsal digitules subequal in length to claw digitules; claw digitules both broad but one slightly broader than other; claw without a denticle; setal distribution: coxa 5; trochanter 0; femur 2; tibia 2 and tarsus 2.

Comments. Adult female P. elongatum spec. n. are unique in having: (i) body more than twice as long as wide, (ii) few large dorsal pores, arranged more or less in a submedial line, (iii) curved setose dorsal setae (otherwise only found in D. milleri ) and (iv) no long seta on the trochanter, even though the legs are quite well developed (the only other Paralecanium species in which this seta is absent is P. hainanense ).

Host-plant. Eugenia sp.? ( Myrtaceae ).

Name derivation. The specific name elongatum refers to the body shape, which is unusually elongate for a species of Paralecanium .

Figures

FIGURE 37. Paralecanium elongatum Hodgson, spec. n., adult female.