Mycetaspis ailynaomi Dones and Evans

Dones, Ramon A. & Evans, Gregory A., 2011, A new species of armored scale, Mycetaspis ailynaomi (Hemiptera, Diaspididae, Aspidiotinae), associated with Mammea americana L. (Malpighiales, Calophyllaceae) from Puerto Rico, ZooKeys 108, pp. 1-10 : 2-4

Mycetaspis ailynaomi Dones and Evans sp. n. Figs 1-6

Adult female.

Appearance in life was not recorded, but the scale is not pupillarial. Body 1241µm long and 1136µm wide in the holotype; 1347µm long and 998µm wide in the paratype; almost circular. Pygidium slightly produced, almost (1.1 times) as broad as long, 279µm long by 423µm wide and 263µm long by 440µm wide in holotype and paratype, respectively.

Description.

Cephalothorax. Anterior margin of head heavily sclerotized with 10-14 tooth-like, sclerotized lobular processes. Eyes are represented by a sclerotized dot. Antennae each composed of a conspicuous seta and a tubercle. A group of 18-20 microducts in front of each anterior spiracle. A band of microducts between the anterior and posterior spiracles extending outward from the median area to the margin in a slight upward angle without reaching the margin. Pygidium. Lobes. With 4 well-developed lobes (L1-L4); L1 more or less symmetrical, longer than L2-L4, flask-shaped, divergent on the mesal margin, which are shorter than the lateral margin. L2 with mesal margin one third as long as the lateral margin, with 2 or 3 small round teeth. L3 and L4 similar to L2, but more diagonally set with the lateral margin about 4 times as long as the mesal margin. Basal sclerosis. Similar in shape to a paraphysis, arising from the mesal margin of the L1 lobes, about twice as long as the lobe and about one third as wide as the base of the lobe, almost parallel-sided and rounded on the top. Paraphyses. Arranged 2-3-3 on each side of the pygidium. First interlobular space (space between L1 and L2) with a long paraphysis terminating in a club and almost twice as long the basal sclerosis associated with L1; a smaller paraphysis arising from mesal base of L2 and slightly shorter than half the length of the long paraphyses in the space. Second interlobular space with 3 paraphyses: the mesal one arising from the lateral basal corner of L2, similar to the paraphysis arising from the mesal corner of L2 in size and shape; the median paraphysis in the space about twice as long as the mesal paraphysis, approximately the same as the long paraphysis in the first interlobular space in size and shape; the lateral paraphysis from the mesal corner of L3, similar to the mesal paraphysis. The third interlobular space has 2 or 3 paraphyses: a short paraphysis arising at the lateral basal corner of L3, followed by a longer one more than twice as long as the former one. Paraphyses arising from the mesal basal corner of L4 faint or almost obsolete; pygidial margin anterior to L4 also with some short paraphyses. Plates. Plates occurring between lobes, but their numbers are difficult to determine in the available specimens. Plates occurring between L1 and L2 slender and simple, short, not extending beyond the apices of the lobes; plates between L2 and L3 slightly longer and wider with truncate apices; space between L3 and L4 appearing to have 3 short plates, one slender and 2 wider with truncate apices. Anal opening. Small, 14.5 µm in diameter, separated from the bases of L1 by a space about 6.5 times as long as its diameter. Perivulvar pores. Absent.

Male.

Unknown.

Type material.

Two adult females, holo- and paratype, Puerto Rico: 27.vi.2006, M. Resto, on Mammea americana fruit. Specimens are mounted in Canada Balsam. Both specimens are deposited in the U.S. Museum of Natural History (USNM) in Beltsville, Maryland.

Diagnosis.

Mycetaspis ailynaomi is most similar to Mycetaspis defectopalus Ferris in the shape of the pygidial lobes and the relative lengths and shapes of the paraphyses, but differs from the latter and other species in the genus in having 10-14 sclerotized lobular processes along the anterior margin of the cephalothorax; whereas the anterior margin of the cephalothorax is sclerotized, but smooth and rounded in the other species.

Biology.

This species in only known to occur on Mammea americana fruit in Puerto Rico. Several embryos were present in both the holotype and paratype specimens.

Etymology.

The species name is the combination of the names of the first author’s daughters, Ailyn and Naomi, as a testimony of his love to them.