Leptaspis pege, Hardy, Nate B. & Williams, Douglas J., 2018

Hardy, Nate B. & Williams, Douglas J., 2018, Doubling the known endemic species diversity of New Caledonian armored scale insects (Hemiptera, Diaspididae), ZooKeys 782, pp. 11-47 : 11

Leptaspis pege sp. n. Figure 11a, b, c

Material examined.

Holotype: New Caledonia: 1 adult female (1.46 mm long, 0.38 mm wide): ex sedge, Mont D’Or, roadside fountain, 24.viii.1963, SW Brown, SWB accession 257 (USNM). Paratype: New Caledonia: exuviae of 1 second-instar: on same slide as holotype, SWB accession 257 (USNM).

Description.

Adult female, n =1. Pupillarial. Body of holotype 1.46 mm long, broadest at meta-thorax (0.38 mm); body outline elongate.

Pygidium without lobes or plates, on each side with ~10 microducts along margin. Anus circular, in posterior third of pygidium. Venter with vulva in posterior half, slightly anterior of anus. Perivulvar pores absent.

Pre-pygidial segments. Eye well developed. Dorsum with few setae along margin and medial areas. Venter with gland tubercles, in linear submarginal series along abdominal segments, a few on margin of metathorax, and extending from anterior spiracle to antenna. Fine setae in distinct submedial and marginal series. Antennae each with one long setae. Spiracles without pores.

Second-instar female.Pygidium with three lobes on each side; each lobe with rounded apex; L1 much smaller than L2 and L3. Medial side of base of L2 and L3 confluent with sclerotized rim around orifice of marginal microduct. Microducts also scattered along submargin. Two fimbriate plates between medial lobes, two between L1 and L2, 3 between L2 and L3, 2 laterad of L3. Anus elongate, at anterior end of medial furrow extending from base of medial lobes.

Etymology.

The genus name is based on the Greek word leptos meaning thin, referring to the shape of the body, combined with aspis, the Greek world for shield. The species name is taken from the Greek pege , for fountain, in reference to the one located near the type locality. It is a feminine noun, used here in apposition.