Corandesia Foldi

Foldi, Imre, 2009, Archaeococcoid scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) from the tropical high mountains of the Andean Cordillera, South America, Zootaxa 2300, pp. 1-38 : 6

Corandesia Foldi n. gen.

Type species: Corandesia kozári Foldi by original designation.

Generic diagnosis. Adult female. Body outline oval, bluntly rounded at both ends. Length up to 6.5 mm. Derm membranous, covered in multilocular pores and setae. Multilocular pores widespread, each with a large circular centre surrounded by 10–12 outer loculi; similar pores but with an oval, triangular or quadrate-shaped centre which includes 2, 3 or 4 loculi, distributed in segmental bands throughout both venter and dorsum. Setae abundant, of following types: robust hair-like setae, slender and flagellate setae, collared setae (few), spiniform setae curved or stright, and hairs. Cicatrices numbering three, present posterior to vulvar opening. Antennae each normally 7-segmented; scape with a strong articulation with pedicel; each segment with hairlike setae; segments III to VI each rather ring-like, each with additional 1 or 2 fleshy setae; apical segment elongate with few setae, but with a very long apical seta. Eyespots rather circular, convex, situated posterolaterally of base of antennae. Abdominal intersegmental membranes of segments II–VI more or less sclerotised in median and submedian areas. Mouthparts present. Legs well developed, setae sparse on all segments; each trochanter with a long trochanteral seta on ventral surface, and with 2 or 3 campaniform sensilla on each side; claws each stout and curved, without a denticle; claw base with a pair of fine, setose, claw digitules. Thoracic spiracles each well developed, with multilocular pores in atrium; apodeme present. Abdominal spiracles in 5 pairs, each with a small, strongly sclerotised elongate atrium, each atrium without pores. Vulvar opening a transverse fissure with few setae; anal opening surrounded by a group of straight, robust hair-like setae and multilocular pores, each with a bilocular or trilocular centre. Anal tube with a ring of polygonal pores at inner end.

Derivatio nominis. The name Corandesia is composed of the first three characters of Cordillera, plus andesia derived from “Andes” in reference to the Cordillera de los Andes, where this species was collected.

Distribution. Corandesia is a monotypic genus currently only known from Venezuela, South America.

Comments. Corandesia , n. gen. clearly belongs to the Monophlebidae (subfamily Monophlebinae as defined by Morrison (1928)), since one important characteristic is the presence of ventral cicatrices. However, Corandesia is separable from all other known monophlebid genera occurring in the New World by the presence of 7-segmented antennae, apical segment with a single very long seta, and 5 pairs of small abdominal spiracles, each with an unusual, strongly sclerotised, narrow elongate atrium. The number of pairs of abdominal spiracles varies among monophlebid genera and constitutes a good recognition character; for example, among genera found in the Neotropics, the adult females have: 2 or 3 pairs in Icerya species (2 pairs on Icerya purchasi , 3 pairs on I. seychellarum ); 3 pairs in Crypticerya and Echinicerya ; 5 pairs in Corandesia ; 6 pairs in Neohodgsonius , and 7 pairs in Laurencella , Llaveia , and Prototornia.