Paralecanium vacerra 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 : 136-138

Paralecanium vacerra Hodgson spec. n.

( Fig. 57 )

Material examined. Holotype f: PHILIPPINES: left label: Paralecanium / vacerra / Hodgson / Philippines / ex orchid leaf / vi-9-75 / Miami 11491 / H.L. Rubio / Balsam; right label: HOLOTYPE in red on a narrow label ( USNM): 1/1adf (fg, probably young as dorsum barely sclerotised; venter somewhat damaged).

Note. Description taken from only available specimen.

Slide-mounted adult female. Body broadly oval. Length 1.93 mm, width 1.78 mm.

Dorsum. Derm rather uniformly sclerotised, without apparent areolations but with an area of sclerotisation just posterior to each anal plate (probably under the plates in life). Marginal radial lines absent but indicated by distribution of setae and pores, with 11 lines anteriorly between anterior stigmatic clefts, possibly 1 from each cleft, each side with 3 lines between clefts and 11 on abdomen. Abdominal clear areas absent. Dorsal setae each short, straight, finely spinose and sharply pointed with a deep basal disc; each about 8 µm long; sparsely present throughout, probably in a polygonal pattern. 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 10–15 pores, but these sometimes hard to differentiate from empty setal sockets. Small, apparently bilocular, pores, each about 2.5 µm wide, sparsely present, probably in a polygonal pattern. Minute pores, each about 0.5 µm wide, present in a sparse band near margin. Anal plates together elongate, each with a squarish outer corner, and with anterior and posterior margins subequal in length; each plate with 1 seta near middle and possibly at least 2 more near apex on outer margin, also with 2 small pores; each plate about 96 µm long, width of single plate 45 µm. Anogenital fold with 1 pair of small setae along anterior margin, each lateral margin with 1 seta anteriorly and another posteriorly. Anal ring missing.

Margin. Marginal ornamentation present as radial blocks of strong sclerotisation, with 2–4 blocks between each pair of marginal setae. Marginal setae oval and fan-shaped; width of each fan 33–37 µm, length 18–25 µm; with about 70 setae anteriorly between anterior stigmatic clefts, each side with 27 or 28 between stigmatic clefts, and 66 or 67 along abdominal margin. Stigmatic clefts narrow and quite deep, each with a sclerotised inner margin, a single short, stout, almost triangular stigmatic spine, each spine 21–23 µm long and 10–11 µm wide at base. Eyespots more or less round; each with socket about 37 µm wide, diameter of lens about 16 µm.

Venter. With a marginal band 90–105 µm wide. Multilocular disc-pores probably (venter damaged) in groups on either side of genital opening and on preceding segment only, each side with perhaps 6–9 on abdominal segment VII and 18–23 on segment VI. Spiracular disc-pores present in a narrow band about 2 pores wide between margin and each spiracle, with 33–38 pores in each band. Ventral microducts present throughout but most abundant near labium. Antennae well developed, each with 6 segments; total length 203 µm; each apical segment about 43 µm long; apical seta missing but remaining setal distribution normal. Clypeolabral shield about 110 µm long. Spiracles small, width of each peritreme 19–25 µm. Legs well developed but small; dimensions of hind leg (µm): coxa 63– 65, trochanter + femur 85, tibia 43–45 and tarsus 50–53; claw 10. Tarsal digitules slightly longer than claw digitules, with capitate apices; with 1 claw digitule apparently broad and other narrow on prothoracic legs, other digitules apparently more similar in width; claw without a denticle; setal distribution: coxa 5; trochanter 1, moderately long; femur 1; tibia 1 and tarsus 1 or 2.

Comments. Paralecanium vacerra belongs to the group of Paralecanium species with only a single stigmatic spine in each stigmatic cleft; but the stigmatic spines on P. vacerra are short and very stout. It also has dissimilar claw digitules on the prothoracic legs, whereas they are similar (both broad) on the meso- and metathoracic legs. Claw digitules are similar on all legs on other species.

Host-plant. Orchidaceae .

Name derivation. The specific name vacerra is taken from vacerra, Latin , f, for log or post, referring to the single stout stigmatic spine in each cleft, and is a noun in apposition.

Figures

FIGURE 57. Paralecanium vacerra Hodgson, spec. n., adult female.