Clavaspis virolae Wei, Schneider, Normark & Normark, 2021

Wei, Jiufeng, Schneider, Scott A., Normark, Roxanna D. & Normark, Benjamin B., 2021, Four new species of Aspidiotini (Hemiptera, Diaspididae, Aspidiotinae) from Panama, with a key to Panamanian species, ZooKeys 1047, pp. 1-25 : 1

Clavaspis virolae Wei, Schneider, Normark & Normark sp. nov.

Figure 2

Material examined.

Holotype: Panama • 1 adult female; Parque Nacional San Lorenzo Canopy Crane , Colón; 9.2802°N, 79.9754°W; 17.i.2015; DA Peterson, GE Morse, H Shapiro, S Trujillo leg.; on Virola multiflora ; MIUP (D6676B) . Paratype: • 3 adult females; same data as holotype; USNM (D6676A, D6676D, D6677A) ; • 3 adult females; same data as holotype; UMEC (D6674G, D6676C, D6677C) .

Description

(N = 7). Adult female not pupillarial. Appearance in life not recorded. Slide-mounted adult female 475-900 μm long (holotype 860, median 565), 410-630 μm wide (holotype 620, median 460), broadest near mesothorax and metathorax. Body outline oval, nearly circular in smaller individuals (<600 μm long), becoming elongate-oval in larger individuals. Derm membranous throughout at maturity except for pygidium. Antennae simple, each with one long seta. Distance between antennae 40-100 μm. Without disc pores associated with anterior or posterior spiracles. Lobes. Pygidium with 2 pairs of lobes; L1 well developed, separated by space about one-fifth width of L1, lobes slightly wider than long, inner margins near parallel, with 1 medial and 1 lateral notch, rounded apically; L2 forming sclerotized point, about one-quarter to one-third size of L1, with 1 lateral notch; L3 absent, indicated at most by small, lightly sclerotized projection of pygidial margin. Plates. All plates simple; with or without fine plates in slight space between L1; with 2 pointed plates in first space; plates absent in second space; five simple microduct-bearing plates present laterad of L3, nearly as long as L1. Ducts. Dorsal macroducts of 1-barred type, slender, with orifices narrower in diameter than ventral microducts, restricted primarily to margin with one submarginal duct anterior to seta marking segment VI; 1 between L1, with 3-4 marginal ducts in first space, 2 marginal ducts in second space; with few short macroducts occurring on submarginal areas of pre-pygidial segments. Ventral microducts slightly wider in diameter than dorsal macroducts and present in small submarginal groups on pre-pygidial abdominal segments and segment V. Paraphyses. L1 each with a paraphysis-like basal sclerosis toward medial margin, slightly smaller than lobe; in first space, 1 clavate paraphysis arising from lateral angle of L1, 1 arising from mesal angle of L2, posterior-most paraphysis slightly longer than L1; 2 smaller clavate paraphyses arising from mesal margin of L3. Anal opening oval, 8-13 μm in length, 4-6 μm in width, positioned 20-23 μm from base of L1, located within posterior third of pygidium. Perivulvar pores absent.

Remarks.

This species is placed in the genus Clavaspis MacGillivray on the basis of the robust clavate paraphyses, small anal opening, and basal sclerosis of L1, resembling that of Clavaspis ulmi (Johnson). The paraphyses are not as elaborately developed as those of most Clavaspis species, but they are more developed than some species that have recently been recognized as members of Clavaspis on the basis of molecular phylogenetics - C. perseae (Davidson) and C. patagonensis Schneider, Claps, Wei, Normark & Normark ( Normark et al. 2014; Schneider et al. 2020). Clavaspis virolae is similar to Clavaspis ulmi , but differs in having L2 present, plates fewer, dorsal macroducts fewer, medial paraphysis of first space less developed, and ventral macroduct orifices larger than those of dorsal macroducts. Clavaspis virolae also resembles species of Hemiberlesia Cockerell, especially H. ignobilis Ferris and H. ocellata Takagi & Yamamoto, but differs in having a smaller anal opening and fewer plates. It further differs from H. ignobilis in having L2 present and ventral macroduct orifices larger than those of dorsal macroducts, and from H. ocellata in having 2 pairs of conspicuous paraphyses present, L3 absent, and notching of L1 and L2 less deep. Yet another genus that C. virolae resembles is Diaspidiotus Berlese: the axes of L1 and L2 seem to converge slightly, causing the species to key out as Quadraspidiotus MacGillivray, now a synonym of Diaspidiotus , in Ferris’s (1942) key. But this is not as good a fit, as Diaspidiotus species lack basal scleroses of L1. It is also biogeographically less plausible, as Diaspidiotus is overwhelmingly a temperate Holarctic group. There exist Neotropical species assigned to Diaspidiotus , but these may be misplaced. The only such species reported from Panama, D. crescentiae Ferris, has a large anal opening and basal scleroses of L1, and is best regarded as Hemiberlesia crescentiae (Ferris), new combination.

Host plant.

Virola multiflora (Standl.) A.C.Sm. (family Myristicaceae )

Etymology.

The specific epithet is the Latin genitive of the host plant genus, Virola .

Distribution.

Panama ( Colón).

Figures

Figure 2. Clavaspis virolae Wei, Schneider, Normark & Normark sp. nov. Adult female, full body view, illustrated from the holotype (D 6676 B); expanded view of pygidium, illustrated from the holotype (D 6676 B).