Eriococcus millei, Williams, 2007

Williams, D. J., 2007, Scale insects of the families Asterolecaniidae and Eriococcidae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) in New Caledonia, Journal of Natural History 41 (21 - 24), pp. 1343-1366 : 1353-1356

Eriococcus millei sp. nov.

( Figure 2 )

Description

External appearance, covered in white wax and with white, long and loosely woven ovisac extending from rear of insect.

Body of adult female on microscope slide either broadly oval or with sides subparallel, membranous, 1.15–1.75 mm long, 0.65–1.15 mm wide, widest at mesothorax or abdominal segment I, with faint minute nodules mainly on head and thorax. Posterior end rounded except for sclerotized anal lobes, each lobe conical, 60–80 Mm long, 33– 45 Mm wide at base, inner edges crenate, with an apical flagellate seta 75–80 Mm long and a dorsal enlarged sub-apical seta about 30 Mm long, an inner dorsal, almost basal seta about 45 Mm long, an inner subapical ventral seta about 25 Mm long, and an outer subapical ventral seta about 25 Mm long; all anal lobe enlarged setae noticeably narrower than dorsal enlarged body setae. Antennae 160–200 Mm long, six-segmented, segment 3 longest. Legs well developed, hind coxa 50–60 Mm long, hind trochanter + femur 130– 160 Mm long, hind tibia + tarsus 140–160 Mm long. Claw fairly stout, 20–25 Mm long, with a single denticle near apex and with two knobbed digitules 32 Mm long, noticeably longer than claw, one digitule with large expanded distal end larger than other. Ratio of lengths of hind tibia + tarsus to hind trochanter + femur 1.00–1.07. Ratio of lengths of hind tibia to tarsus 1.00–1.28. Distal trochanteral setae each about 55 Mm long. Hind coxa with about 20 translucent pores on posterior surface and a few near outer margin on anterior surface. Hind tibia with a pair of setae at distal end only. Labium much shorter than clypeolabral shield, 60–70 Mm long, with three segments, basal segment very narrow with two pairs of minute setae. Anal ring 45–50 Mm in diameter, with a single row of cells and six setae each 70–90 Mm long. Suranal setae pointed, each about 40 Mm long. Each eye about 20 Mm in diameter.

Dorsal surface with conical enlarged marginal setae, acutely pointed, often slightly curved in profile, mostly 30–35 Mm long, 7.5–10.0 Mm wide at base, usually two present on margin of each abdominal segment except on abdominal segment VII where usually only one present about 38 Mm long and about 10 Mm wide at base. Other dorsal setae, same shape but smaller, 15–20 Mm long, 5.0–7.5 Mm wide at base, present in single rows across middle of segments except scattered on head and prothorax. Macrotubular ducts, each about 15 Mm long, 4 Mm wide at cup end, present across segments usually in single rows near anterior and posterior edges of abdominal segments and some across middle of abdominal segments near enlarged setae; others becoming scattered on head and thorax. Microtubular ducts elongate, each about 10.0 Mm long and scarcely 1.0 Mm wide at inner end, scattered over surface.

Ventral surface with a series of marginal to submarginal enlarged setae, similar to dorsal setae but most smaller, 15.0 Mm long, 6.0 Mm wide at base, present singly on abdominal segments, more frequent on thorax; enlarged setae on head margin larger, about 22 Mm long. Other setae across segments, flagellate. Macrotubular ducts, same size as dorsal ducts, present in a marginal to submarginal zone. A smaller macrotubular duct, about 12.5 Mm long and 2– 3 Mm wide at cup end, present across abdominal segments and submedially on head and thorax, sparse or absent in medial area of thorax. Microtubular ducts as on dorsum, present around margins and submargins, a few extending medially on thorax. Quinquelocular pores, each about 4.0 Mm in diameter, most numerous in medial to submedial areas of abdomen, others present submedially on thorax, and three or four present next to spiracular openings; others scattered medially on head and prothorax. Cruciform pores, smaller than quinquelocular pores, sparsely distributed submedially on head and thorax.

Material examined

Holotype: adult ♀, New Caledonia, Belep , on leaves of unidentified plant, 6 April 2004 (coll. C. Mille), # 04-089a ( NZAC) . Paratypes: New Caledonia, same data as holotype, one adult ♀, # 044-089d ( NZAC) , one adult ♀, # 044-089b ( IANC) , one adult ♀, # 04-089c ( BMNH) .

Etymology

The species is named after the collector, Christian Mille, Institut Agronomique neo- Calédonien, La Foa, New Caledonia.

Comments

Eriococcus millei is most similar to E. pallidus Maskell described from New Zealand on Myoporum laetum and Elaeocarpus sp. by Maskell (1885) and known from subsequent collections on numerous host plants. Hoy (1962) listed these host plants and described and illustrated E. pallidus in detail. Specimens of E. pallidus are available (BMNH) sent by Maskell to R. Newstead dated 1890. Rosa Henderson, Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand, who kindly sent the material of E. millei for study, has also sent photographs of slide preparations of authentic material of E. pallidus and added valuable comments. E. millei differs from E. pallidus mainly in possessing marginal dorsal enlarged setae that are noticeably longer than the dorsomedial setae (almost twice the length) but in E. pallidus they are mostly about the same size. Furthermore, the enlarged setae in E. millei are acutely pointed whereas in E. pallidus they are bluntly tipped. The anal lobes of E. millei taper much more than those of E. pallidus . In E. pallidus , the anal lobes are more truncate and, whereas the apical setae in E. millei are terminal, in E. pallidus they are situated more to the outer edge. The ovisac of E. millei (as described by Rosa Henderson) is white, long and loosely woven, extending from the rear of the insect. In L. pallidus , it is closely felted covering the insect.

The locality Belep, actually a group of islands, lies about 50 km north of the main island of New Caledonia.

Figures

Figure 2. Eriococcus millei sp. nov., adult female.