Lachnodius Maskell 1896

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 : 87

Lachnodius Maskell 1896

Lachnodius Maskell 1896, 400 . Type species: Dactylopius eucalypti Maskell by subsequent designation Fernald, 1903. Pseudopsylla Froggatt 1921, 6 . Type species: Pseudopsylla hirsutus Froggatt by monotypy and original designation. Junior

synonym ( Beardsley 1982, 31).

Introduction. Currently, this genus includes 10 species, all only known from mainland Australia ( Hardy et al. 2019). The female of L. eucalypti attaches herself to the upper surface of the leaf, causing a circular depression in the center of a reddish blotch in the leaf tissue. The scale fits into this pit, with the dorsal surface raised a little above the rim, and has transverse markings covered with fine dull-white, clumpy, powdery secretions ( Hardy et al. 2019). The adult male of only what is believed to be L. eucalypti is known and is described and illustrated below.

Generic diagnosis based on adult male morphology of L. eucalypti (described below) ( Fig. 34 ). Body not attenuated and abdomen more or less parallel sided, with a short penial sheath; body setae with both hs and fs, but these hard to distinguish. Head: quite setose ventrally; simple pores present; ocular sclerite with a few light striations or ridges; dorsal mid-cranial ridge absent; preocular ridge very short; antennae 10 segmented; flagellar segments with perhaps only fs, each slightly longer than antennal width; with a least 4 capitate setae present, on apical antennal segment only. Thorax: prosternal setae present; prescutum nodulated, without prescutal setae; scutal setae present medially; scutellum without scutellar setae; postmesospiracular setae very few, all hs; basisternum with setae; metasternal setae few; postmetaspiracular setae present; tegular setae present; tarsi short, 1 segmented; tarsal and claw digitules capitate; claws with a denticle. Abdomen: fs almost indistinguishable from hs; glandular pouches present on segment VIII; glandular pouch setae very short; penial sheath short, about as long as width of segment IX, narrowing abruptly; segment IX with a few setae posteriorly; with several pairs of long setae near apex of style.

Figures

FIGURE 34. Lachnodius?eucalypti (Maskell). Macropterous male. (Eriococcidae, Gondwanan group). Where A=cranial apophysis.