Unachionaspis multiglandularis, Tian & Xing, 2022

Tian, Feng & Xing, Jichun, 2022, A new species of Unachionaspis MacGillivray, 1921 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha Diaspididae) from China, Zootaxa 5124 (5), pp. 520-532 : 522-526

Unachionaspis multiglandularis sp. n.

( Figs 1–13 )

Material examined. Holotype adult f#: CHINA: Guizhou Prov., Tongren City, / Songtao County, Wuluo Town, / E: 108º 47’ 37”, N: 27º 59’ 49”, / 840 m altitude, / on Chimonobambusa sp. (Bambusoideae) , / 31.v.2021, / Feng Tian leg., mounted singly on a slide ( GUGC).

Paratype f#f#: Same data as holotype, 11 f#f# mounted singly on slides ( GUGC) .

Description. Appearance in life. Adult female scale cover white, 2.5–3.0 mm long, 1.5–2.0 mm wide, narrow at the front and expanded towards posterior end, to form an irregularly round or broad triangle; exuviae yellowish, situated at anterior end; dorsum thickened; ventral scale absent. Exposed body of adult female yellow, asymmetric; anterior end narrow; body gradually expanding posteriorly, widest at abd. I, with a wide, pocket-shaped lateral expansion; distal half tapering posteriorly, pygidium rounded. Scale cover of immature male white, elongate, 1.2– 1.5 mm long, about 0.5 mm wide, without longitudinal ridges, slightly dilated on each side, not parallel sided. Exuviae pale yellow, situated at anterior end.

Slide-mounted adult female (n=12): Body spindle-shaped, 1540–1770 (1547) µm long, 700–990 (705) µm wide; cephalothorax and pygidium narrow, gradually expanding posteriorly as far as middle, metathorax and abd. I widest, distal half tapering.

Cephalothorax. Antennae separated by a space almost half as wide as clypeus, each antenna composed of a small tubercle and 1 stubby seta. Anterior spiracles each associated with 7–15 trilocular disc pores, posterior spiracles not associated with pores.

Pygidial lobes. Lobes numbering 2 pairs, each lobe tapered, with apex rounded; L 1 mostly sunken into apex of pygidium, separate from each other, with inner margins slightly divergent; L 2 bilobulate, each lobule half as big as L 1, half recessed in the pygidium, half protruding from pygidial margin.

Ducts. Dorsal macroducts short and wide, numbering about 150 on each side; on abd. II and III, ducts divided into irregular submedian and submarginal groups; submedian and submarginal dorsal macroducts on more posterior abdominal segments forming fairly regular rows. Submedian ducts on abd. IV and V forming a group without distinct boundaries; each side with 12–15; abd. VI with 2 rows, with 7 or 8 ducts in anterior row and 2 in posterior row. Submarginal dorsal macroducts on each side of abd. IV–VI forming double rows, abd. IV with 4 or 5 in anterior row and 3 in posterior row, abd. V with 7 or 8 in anterior row and 3 in posterior row, and abd. VI with 4 or 5 ducts in anterior row and 3 in posterior row. Marginal macroducts similar in size to dorsal macroducts, each side with 1 between L 1 and L 2, 2 on abd. VI, and 2 on abd. V. Lateral macroducts slightly smaller than dorsal macroducts, present on lateral margins of abd. I–IV. Ventral microducts arranged in rows near margins of abd. III–IV.

Gland spines. Marginal gland spines long and thick, each side with 1 lateral to L1, 1 lateral to L 2 (on abd. VII), 2 on abd. VI, 2 on abd. V, and 2 or 3 marginal gland spines on abd. IV. Clusters of submarginal gland spines present on abd. I–IV.

Perivulvar pores present in five groups, with 14–17 in the median group, 26–34 in each anterolateral group and 25–30 in each posterolateral group.

Distribution. China (Guizhou).

Host plants. Poaceae : Chimonobambusa spp. (bamboo).

Habit. Females found on the upper leaf surface near the midrib, close together; immature males found around the females, close together. Heavily infested leaves had wilted and developed black necrotic spots beneath and around the scale insects.

Remarks. Unachionaspis multiglandularis sp. n. is similar to U. signata in body shape and pygidial margin, but can be distinguished by the following characteristics of the adult female (character states of U. signata in brackets): (i) submarginal gland spines only present on abd. I–IV, absent from mesothorax and metathorax (submarginal gland spines present on mesothorax and metathorax); (ii) dorsal macroducts numbering about 150 on each side (about 80 on each side); (iii) posterior spiracles not associated with disc pores (posterior spiracles each associated with a few pores); (iv) perivulvar pores numbering more than 65 on each side (about 30 on each side).

Etymology. The new species epithet is derived from the Latin prefix “ multi -”, meaning many, and “ glandularis ’, referring to the many dorsal macroducts on the body.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. The habit of Unachionaspis multiglandularis sp. n. 1–3. Environment and host of the type sample; 4. Female scale covers; 5. Male scale covers; 6. Exposed live adult female.

FIGURE 7. Unachionaspis multiglandularis sp. n., slide-mounted adult female. Scale bar = 100 µm.

FIGURES 8–13. Unachionaspis multiglandularis sp. n., slide-mounted adult female.8. Slide-mounted adult female; 9.Antenna; 10. Anterior spiracle; 11. Posterior spiracle; 12. Abdominal segments II–VIII; 13. Pygidium (abd. V–VIII).