Apiomorpha munita tereticornuta Gullan

Hodgson, Chris, 2020, A review of neococcid scale insects (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha) based on the morphology of the adult males, Zootaxa 4765 (1), pp. 1-264 : 53-55

Apiomorpha munita tereticornuta Gullan ( Fig. 19 )

Apiomorpha munita tereticornuta Gullan, 1984 , 30. Type data: Australia, Victoria, Blackburn Reserve, off Lake Road , on Eucalyptus mellidiora , 9.ii.1979. Holotype female by original designation. Type depository: ANIC.

Material examined. Australia, ACT, Erindale, no host, 11.ii.1995, L.G. Cook, Code M54, 35.40 149.083 ( ANIC): 6/6 ad ♂♂ (good to poor).

Mounted material: of moderate size, total length 2.17–2.40 mm, width across mesothorax 438–475 μm, abdomen not obviously attenuated; antennae a little over half length of body, with many long fleshy setae, each 45–60 μm long; shorter, more paralellel-sided fs also present on most leg segments, each 20-24 μm long. Small simple pores present in a group antero-dorsally on head; loculate pores present in a small group near both anterior and posterior spiracles, in addition to those in glandular pouches. Wings subequal in length to total body length. Hamulohalteres absent.

Head: width across genae 310–315 μm; head length 285–305 μm. Median crest (mc) represented only by a lightly sclerotised median ridge with no striations or reticulations. Postoccipital ridge (por) well developed, broadening laterally, anterior arms rather parallel and close together but posterior arms widening, each posterior arm with 0 or 1 hs; with 5–8 pairs of hs dorsal head setae (dhs); minute simple pores present in a group of 5–8 on either side of dorsal arm of mid-cranial ridge. Mid-cranial ridge: dorsal ridge (dmcr) poorly developed, barely extending onto dorsal surface; ventral ridge (vmcr) represented by a pair of distinct lateral arms (lmcr), and median ridge extending posteriorly to ocular sclerite ventrally; with 3–5 pairs of hs ventral mid-cranial ridge setae (vmcrs) on either side anterior to occipital sclerite. Genae (g) not reticulated but each with 2 hs genal setae (gs) laterad to postoccipital ridge. Eyes: with two pairs of large, round, rather protruding simple eyes, dorsal eyes (dse) larger, each 100–112 μm wide, ventral eyes (vse) 90–104 μm wide. Ocelli (o) apparently absent. Ocular sclerite (ocs) with feint concentric striations or ridges around and between each eye. Preocular ridge (procr) short, only extending part way to mid-cranial ridge. Postocular ridge (pocr) strongly developed ventrally and extending dorsally to level with dorsal simple eyes. Dorsal ocular setae absent. Ventral head setae (vhs) 1 pair hs. Preoral ridge (pror) absent. Cranial apophysis (ca) faint but bifurcated.

Antennae: 10-segmented and filiform; length 1.17–1.35 mm long (ratio of total body length to antennal length 1:0.55). Scape (scp): 60–70 μm long, 65–70 μm wide, with 1 or 2 hs ventrally and 2 or 3 hs mediolaterally. Pedicel (pdc): length 70–85 μm, width 65–70 μm; with faint concentric ridges on distal end only; with 4 or 5 fs + 3 or 4 hs + 1 campaniform pore (fs similar to those on flagellum). Segments III–IX all more or less parallel-sided, 35–45 μm wide; fs long and strong, each 45–60 μm long; hs all similar, each 25–40 μm long; lengths of segments (μm): III 125–140; IV 190–200; V 135–160: VI 170–225, VII 160–200, VIII 90–105, IX 90–130; approximate number of setae and sensilla per segment: III 10–12 fs + 1 hs, IV 8–16 fs + 2–8 hs, V–VII 11–19 fs + 6–13 hs; VIII 6–11 fs, 2–9 hs +1 antennal bristle (ab); IX 8 fs, 8 hs + 1 ab. Segment X with 0 fs, 5–7 hs + 2 large and 2 shorter ab; capitate setae entirely absent.

Thorax. Prothorax: pronotal ridge (prnr) well developed and probably fused medially on dorsum; lateral pronotal sclerites (prn) distinct; without lateral pronotal setae. Medial pronotal and post-tergital setae apparently absent. Posttergites probably absent. Sternum (stn 1) with a short medial ridge and very feint radial striations; transverse ridge barely discernable, without apophyses; prosternal setae absent. Proepisternum + cervical sclerite (pepcv) showing nothing distinctive. Anteprosternal setae absent; but with 1 pair of antemesospiracular setae + 3 or 4 loculate pores anterolaterally to spiracle.

Mesothorax: prescutum (prsc) elongate, length only slightly greater than width, 190–225 μm long, 215–225 μm wide; sclerotised, without nodulations; prescutal ridges (pscr) well developed; prescutal suture (pscs) poorly developed or represented by slight striations; with 3 or 4 pairs of prescutal setae (prscs). Prealare (pra) and triangular plate (tp) well developed. Scutum (sct): median area sclerotised, 40–65 μm long, without scutal setae; anterolateral margins with diagonal striations; prealar ridge (prar) weak. Scutellum (scl) 200–210 μm wide, 85–105 μm long; with a strong in- verted U-shaped scutellar ridge (sclr), not tubular but with a large foramen; with 1 pair of scutellar setae (scls); posterior notal wing process (pnp) quite long, diagonal and heavily sclerotised. Basisternum (stn 2) 370–425 μm wide, 275–290 μm long; median ridge absent; bounded anteriorly by a weak marginal ridge (mr), and posteriorly by strong precoxal ridges (pcr 2); without basisternal setae (stn 2 s); lateropleurite (lpl) rather narrow, without an extension from marginal ridge; furca (f) quite long, of characteristic shape, with a broad base, narrow-waisted, with very short lateral arms. Mesopostnotum (pn 2) well developed; postnotal apophysis (pna) well developed. Area bounded anteriorly by scutellum and laterally and posteriorly by mesopostnotum membranous. Mesepisternum (eps 2) not reticulated; subepisternal ridge (ser) strongly sclerotised, arising from lateral ridges of basisternum. Postalare (pa) well developed; without postalare setae and not reticulated anteriorly. Mesothoracic spiracle (sp 2): width of peritreme 33–35 μm. Postmesospiracular setae absent. Tegula (teg) present, with 4 or 5 tegular setae (tegs).

Metathorax: metapostnotum quite broad; with 1 pair of hs metatergal setae (mts) medially. Dorsospiracular setae: 3 or 4 pairs laterally. Dorsal part of metapleural ridge present but without a suspensorial sclerite; ventral part of metapleural ridge (plr 3) normal; precoxal ridge (pcr 3) absent but mesepisternum (eps 3) present; without postmetaspiracular setae. Metepimeron (epm 3) short, without setae. Antemetaspiracular setae absent. Metathoracic spiracle (sp 3): width of peritreme 33–35 μm. Metasternum (stn 3) membranous, metasternal apophyses (stn 3 a) not detected; with 1 or 2 pairs of anterior (amss) and posterior metasternal setae (pmss).

Wings: all badly misshapen, hyaline, perhaps 2.13–2.25 mm long, width unknown; alar lobe present but small; alar setae and alar sensoria absent. Hamulohalteres absent.

Legs: metathoracic legs marginally longest. Coxae (cx): I 170–185; II 155–175; III 175–180 μm long; with 23 or 24 fs + 19–22 hs on each coxa III; long apical setae setose, each 48–50 μm long. Trochanter (tr) + femur (fm): I 365– 395; II 375–385; III 400–420 μm long; trochanter III with 0 or 1 fs + 7–10 hs; campaniform pores oval, in a semicircle; long trochanter seta 45–55 μm long, femur III with 13–18 fs + 30–31 hs. Tibia (ti): I 390–415; II 395–415; III 405–425 μm long, tibia III with many setae including 17–28 fs; with 2 apical spurs (tibs), length 20–28 μm. Tarsi (ta): I 140–150; II 160–165; III 160–170 μm long (ratio of length of tibia III to that of tarsus III 1:0.40); tarsi two segmented; tarsus III with many setae, including 7–9 fs; tarsal spurs not spur-like, each 25 μm long; tarsal campaniform pore (cp) present; tarsal and claw digitules with minute clubbed apices. Claws (c) quite broad, shorter than width of tarsi, generally with a small denticle; length: III: 30–33 μm.

Abdomen: not attenuated; tergites (at) and sternites (as) apparently only present on segment VIII; pleurites all membranous. Caudal extensions (ce) on segment VII absent. Setae all long hs, dorsal abdominal setae (ads) each 65–125 μm long: segments I–VII each with 4 hs; ventral abdominal setae (avs) each 60–75 μm long: Segments II–VII each with 5–7 hs; dorsal pleural setae (dpls): I–VII each generally with 3 hs, and ventral pleural setae (vpls) I–VII each with 1 or 2 hs.

Segment VIII: ante-anal setae absent. Caudal extensions (ce) distinct and elongate, length 83–95 μm; setae all long hs; with 4 long pleural setae on each caudal extension, longest 135–165 μm, other setae all 65–140 μm long. Glan- dular pouches (gp) cone-shaped, with loculate pores extending out of pouch; with 2 glandular pouch setae (gps) each 140–185 μm long with sharp apices.

Genital segments: penial sheath divided into a bulbous anterior part (segment IX) and a longer, sharply pointed style; length of segment IX 80–95 μm, width 130–153 μm; anal opening 55–60 μm wide, near posterior margin of seg- ment IX; segment IX with 3–7 hs setae on each side and ventrally. Length of style 195–200 μm, width at base 80–85 μm; style parallel-sided anteriorly, then narrowing towards apex; with a pair of long hs dorsally near base, each about 50 μm long; other setae absent; apex with a few small sensilla. Aedeagus (aed) quite long, broad anteriorly (40 μm wide), then tapering to a quite broad apex; length 185–190 μm. Basal sclerotisation (bra) very short.

Comment. The adult males of C. munita tereticornuta are similar to those of A. ovicola in having well-developed caudal extensions on abdominal segment VIII. They both also have: (i) fleshy setae on the scape, coxa and femur; (ii) small pores on head; (iii) loculate pores on prothorax and mesothorax, and (iv) long dorsal abdominal setae. For differences, see key.

It is thought likely that C. munita tereticornuta refers to multiple species (L. Cook, pers. com.) and so the exact identity of these specimens is currently uncertain.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Apiomorpha munita tereticornuta Gullan. Macropterous male. (Eriococcidae, Acanthococcid group). Where A=cranial apophysis, C=loculate pore, D=fleshy seta, E=hair-like seta, N=side view of simple eye, R=dermal reticulation on ocular sclerite and X=pores on head.