Lepidosaphes murreeana Williams and Miller

Miller, Douglass R., Williams, Douglas J. & Davidson, John A., 2006, Key to conifer-infesting species of Lepidosaphes Shimer worldwide (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Diaspididae), with descriptions of two new species and a redescription of L. pallidula (Williams), Zootaxa 1362, pp. 23-42 : 29-31

Lepidosaphes murreeana Williams and Miller , n. sp.

( Fig. 2 )

Type material. Holotype adult female in BMNH, on slide labelled as follows: left label ‘ HOLOTYPE / BMNH, Lepidosaphes murreeana . Right label PAKISTAN, Murree, on Abies pindrow , 22.v.70 ’. In addition there are 2 paratype adult female specimens with same data also in BMNH.

Description. Adult female on microscope slide elongate-oval, membranous except for pygidium, 0.88–1.04 (0.98) mm long, 0.30–0.41 (0.36) mm wide, head rounded, with smooth margin, without minute spinules and tubercles; margins of mesothorax, metathorax and prepygidial abdominal segments strongly lobed. Pygidium with 2 definite pairs of lobes, third and fourth lobes represented by slightly sclerotized areas anterior of marginal macroduct swellings. Paraphyses present on medial and outer margins of median lobes, each about same length as lobes, and smaller paraphyses present on inner and outer margins of medial and lateral lobules of second lobes. Median lobes each about 10–14 (11) µm long, 10–15 (13) µm wide, separated by space 9–13 (10) µm wide (0.6–1.0 (0.8) times width of median lobes), lateral margin of each lobe straight, diverging slightly with 1 notch, medial margin at first straight then diverging with 1–2 (2) small notches, apex rounded. Second lobes bilobed, inner lobule larger, with 0–1 (1) notches on outer margin, without notches on inner margin, apex about on same level as apex of median lobes, inner lobule usually without notches. Gland spines each with single microduct. Gland spines between median lobes with inner and outer notches, shorter than lobes, gland-spine formula 2-2-1, gland spines between median and second lobes shorter than median lobes, gland spines between second and third lobes longer than median lobes. Small gland spines paired on each lateral margin of abdominal segments III–V, segment III sometimes with 3; 3–4 (3) tubercle-like gland spines on each lateral margin of abdominal segment II, 5–7 (6) tubercle-like gland spines on each lateral margin of abdominal segment I, and 3–7 (5) posterior to each second spiracle. Macroducts of 2 main sizes, larger size present on pygidial margin only; 1 duct in first space, 2 in second space (occasionally only 1 on each side), 3 on margin of segments IV and V. Smaller single ducts present immediately anterior to inner large duct on segment VI and to large duct on segment V; 1 submarginal and 1 submedial duct on each side of pygidium on segment VI (1 specimen lacks submedial duct on 1 side), 1–3 (1) submarginal and 2–4 (3) submedial ducts on segment V, submedial small ducts present to segment II or III, a series of small marginal ducts present as far forward as mesothorax or prothorax and ventrally on mesothorax to segment II. Ventral microducts present submedially on any of segments I–IV, on pygidial margin of segment V, on prepygidial submarginal areas of mesothorax to segments 1 or 2. Dorsal microducts present submedially on segments 1 and 2. Perivulvar pores in 5 groups, 5–8 (6) pores in medial group, 12–14 (13) in each anterolateral group, and 7–10 in each posterolateral group, total 49–50 (49). Perispiracular pores each with 3 loculi, next to each anterior spiracle in a group of 3–7 (5). Anal opening 12–15 (14) µm in diameter, located 140–162 (152) µm from base of median lobes. Lateral rounded or tubercle-like swellings present on anterior marginal lobe of abdominal segments III and IV, each swelling associated with a macroduct. Eyes evident on only 1 specimen, represented by small, weakly sclerotized dome. Antennae each with 2 large setae. With several microducts near base of antennae.

Notes. This species has similar dorsal submarginal ducts, placed well apart on abdominal segment VI, to those of L. caribaeae but differs in lacking the lateral swellings on abdominal segment II, lacking minute spinules on the head, and in possessing a smooth anterior head margin. The widely-spaced dorsal submarginal ducts on abdominal segment VI and the lack of a slender duct anterior of second lobes also separate L. murreeana from L. pallida .

Etymology. The epithet is based on the type locality Murree, in NE Pakistan, and the Latin suffix ‘- ana’ meaning ‘belonging to’ or ‘pertaining to’.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Lepidosaphes murreeana Williams and Miller n. sp. Murree, Pakistan, on Abies pindrow, May 22, 1970.