Foldilecanium amazonensis (Foldi) Kondo, 2011

Kondo, Takumasa, 2011, Transfer of the myrmecophilous soft scale insect Neolecanium amazonensis Foldi to Foldilecanium gen. nov. (Hemiptera: Coccidae), with description of a new species from Colombia., Insecta Mundi 2011 (167), pp. 1-10 : 4-6

Foldilecanium amazonensis (Foldi) comb. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Proposed common names. Spanish: Escama blanda de la Amazonia; English: Amazonian soft scale.

Holotype. Adult female, 1(1) ( Manaus : Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia , Coleção Sistemática de Entomologia, Brasil). Brazil, Manaus, km 60, 2.xii.1985, coll. Imre Foldi, ex Pourouma cecropiifolia Mart. , inside ant shelters of ants.

Type material studied. Holotype not studied. Paratypes, same data as holotype, 2 slides 3 specimens ( MNHN).

Unmounted material. Young adult female slightly convex, subspherical, yellowish-white. Old females, convex, strongly sclerotized, reddish-brown, dorsal margins rolled ( Foldi 1988).

Slide-mounted material ( Fig. 1 ). Slide mounted specimens 1.7 mm long, 2.0 mm wide; body oval in shape ( Foldi 1988).

Description. Adult female (measurements based on n=3).

Dorsum. Derm membranous, becoming sclerotized in older specimens. Dorsal setae absent. Dorsal microducts (dmic) each about 3.0 µm wide, scattered over dorsum. Simple pores (sp) of 2 types: type (i) pore small, with a thick sclerotized rim, often with a sclerotized center, each about 3.0 µm wide, scattered over dorsum; type (ii) pore median in size, each about 4.5 µm wide, under high magnification appearing as having about 8 loculi, scattered over dorsum and intermixed with type (i) pores. Preopercular pores (prop) each 4.0-5.5 µm wide, present around anal plates and extending medially towards head region. Anal plates (aplt) together broadly pyriform, with smooth rounded outer angles, plates located about middorsum, dorsad to area between just posterior to metathoracic legs, each plate 232-248 µm long, 97-130 µm wide, anterolateral margin 173-200 µm long, posterolateral margin 108-124 µm long, with 13 or 14 setae on dorsal surface, 1 pair of fringe setae anteriorly, ventral subapical setae 3 pairs, and hypopygial setae about 8 pairs. Anal ring (ar) with 10 setae. Well-developed sclerotic area present around anterior part of anal plates.

Margin. Marginal setae (mgset) bluntly to sharply spinose, each 10-15 µm long, arranged in an irregular single row, with 15-20 setae on each side between anterior and posterior stigmatic areas. Stigmatic clefts shallow, each with 2-4 (mostly 3) stigmatic seta (stgset) per stigmatic area, each clavate to bluntly spinose, 8-16 µm long. Eyespots present on dorsal margin.

Venter. Derm entirely membranous. Spiracular pores (spp) each 3.5-4.5 µm wide, with 3-7 (mostly 5) loculi, present in a narrow band as wide as peritreme (about 2-4 pores wide), with band of pores extending laterally from each spiracle to body margin, fused pores often present. Ventral microducts (vmic) scattered evenly throughout, but in dense concentration around labium, each about 3.0 µm wide. Ventral setae (vset): submarginal setae slender, each 6.4-11.0 µm long, present in a single row; ventral setae across abdominal segments, sharply spinose, each 11-17 µm long; elsewhere setose and 8.5-11.0 µm long. Anterior spiracular peritremes each 62-72 µm wide, posterior peritremes each 72-81 µm wide. Legs well developed, but small, claw with a denticle; anterior tarsal digitules dissimilar, one spiniform, the other knobbed; meso- and methathoracic tarsal digitules similar, both knobbed. Antennae (ant) each 188-200 µm long, 6 segmented, with fleshy setae present on last three antennal segments. With 3 pairs of interantennal setae. Clypeolabral shield 164–187 µm wide; labium 1 segmented, with 4 pairs of labial setae.

Diagnosis. The adult female of F. amazonensis can be diagnosed by the combination of the following features: (1) dorsal setae completely absent; (2) simple pores of 2 types; (3) preopercular pores present around anal plates and extending medially towards head region; (4) anal plates together broadly pyriform, with 13-14 setae on dorsal surface; (5) sclerotic area present at least around anterior part of anal plates; (6) marginal setae spinose, with pointed or round tips, with 15-20 setae on each side between anterior and posterior stigmatic areas; (7) stigmatic clefts shallow, each with 2-4 (mostly 3) stigmatic setae; (8) eyespots present; (9) spiracular pores with 3-7 (mostly 5) loculi, (10) dense concentration of ventral microducts around labium; (11) ventral setae across abdominal segments, sharply spinose, setose elsewhere; (12) legs well developed, but small, claw with a denticle; (13) antennae 6 segmented. Foldilecanium amazonensis comes closest to its congener F. multisetosus , however, the two can be easily separated by the combination of the following features (features of F. multisetotosus in parenthesis): (1) stigmatic setae bulbose to spinose with sharp or rounded tips, totaling 3 (rarely 2 or 4) per stigmatic cleft (stigmatic setae spinose with rounded tips, totaling 5-7 per stigmatic cleft); (2) marginal setae bluntly to sharply spinose (marginal setae bluntly spinose, with parallel sides).

Biology. The soft scales were found on the underside of the leaf blades near the petiole insertion. Colonies were covered by ant cartons ( Foldi 1988).

Distribution. Neotropical region. Brazil.

Figures

Figure 1. Foldilecanium amazonensis (Foldi), adult female.