Ripersiella andensis (Hambleton)

Schneider, Scott A. & LaPolla, John S., 2022, A Neotropical complex of Ripersiella species (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha, Rhizoecidae) collected from the nests of Acropyga ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), ZooKeys 1123, pp. 1-30 : 1

Ripersiella andensis (Hambleton)

Fig. 1

Neorhizoecus andensis Hambleton, 1946: 41.

Rhizoecus andensis (Hambleton); Hambleton 1977: 369.

Ripersiella andensis ? Ripersiella andensis (Hambleton); Kozár and Konczné Benedicty 2003: 235.

Material examined.

Lectotype. Colombia • 1 adult ♀; Bogota; 22.ii.1935; L.M. Murillo; on roots of Coffea arabica L.; USNM . Paralectotypes. Colombia • 2 adult ♀♀; same slide as lectotype; USNM • 3 adult ♀♀; same data as lectotype; USNM . Other material. Colombia • 4 adult ♀♀; locality (?); 1955; D. Rios Castana; on coffee; USNM • 3 adult ♀♀; locality (?); iv.1956; S.G. Flanders; on coffee; USNM • 22 adult ♀♀; Chinchina Cald.; 18.xii.1975; R. Cardenas; USNM.

Description.

Adult female (N = 6). Appearance in life not recorded, extent of wax production unknown.

General. Mounted on microscope slide, body broadly oval and membranous, 0.78-1.06 (0.98) mm long, widest near abdominal segments II-III, 0.41-0.58 (0.52) mm wide. Abdomen smoothly tapering toward apex; abdominal segment VIII 170-213 (180) μm wide at base. Anal lobes poorly developed with several flagellate setae on venter and dorsum, ranging from 15-33 μm long. Body setae flagellate, 10-22 μm on head, 9-15 μm on thorax, 11-17 μm on abdominal segments. Trilocular pores abundant and distributed among body setae; bitubular cerores absent; oral collar tubular ducts absent. Microtrichia present on abdominal segments. Eyes absent.

Venter. Cephalic plate absent. Labium with 3 segments; 70 μm long and 46 μm at widest point. Antennae geniculate, 5-segmented, closely situated near midline on ventral submargin of head; overall length 126-134 (132) μm; length of segment I: 27-38 (34) μm; segment II: 14-17 (16) μm; segment III: 14-16 (15) μm; segment IV: 13-18 (14) μm; segment V: 52-53 (53) μm; apical antennal segment with 1 spine-like and 4 falcate stout sensory setae; few flagellate setae on each antennal segment, 14-35 μm long; sensorium present on second antennal segment. Legs well developed; overall length of hind leg 235-241 (238) μm; length of hind coxa 28-34 (34) μm; hind trochanter + femur 91-95 (91) μm; hind tibia + tarsus 88-91 (91) μm; hind claw 22-25 (22) μm; each claw with short setose digitule 2-3 μm long; flagellate setae present on each segment, around 19 μm long. Circulus absent. Multilocular disc pores in irregular rows or groups on segments VI-VIII, pores with 6-8 loculi in the outer ring.

Dorsum. Anal ring on dorsal surface near posterior margin, 48-52 μm in diameter; with oval cells, some cells bearing spicules; with three pairs of setae 33-39 μm long. Posterior pair of dorsal ostioles present, diameter of orifice measured along longitudinal axis approximately 45 μm; anterior pair present but much smaller than posterior pair and poorly developed, diameter of orifice approximately 10 μm. Multilocular disc pores absent.

Diagnosis.

The following newly described species are similar in appearance to R. andensis : R. campensis , R. montanae , and R. pediandensis . Consult the respective diagnosis sections under each species below for a discussion on how to distinguish them from R. andensis . Another new species, R. telalia , can easily be distinguished by the presence of well-developed anterior ostioles, which are present in R. andensis but are strongly reduced and may appear to be absent.

Comments.

Ripersiella andensis may associate with Acropyga exsanguis and A. smithii ( Caballero et al. 2019); however, confirmation of their direct association is lacking, and Schneider and LaPolla (2020) considered their reported trophobiosis to be speculative. Given that there is a complex of species resembling R. andensis living in association with Acropyga , it seems likely that they do associate, and this simply requires confirmation. It would be useful to clearly establish whether there are both free-living and ant-associated populations as well.

Figures

Figure 1. Ripersiella andensis (Hambleton). Adult female, full body view, re-illustrated by SAS from Williams and Granara de Willink (1992) and Kozar and Konczne Benedicty (2007).