Apiomorpha ovicola (Froggatt)

Hodgson, Chris, 2020, A review of neococcid scale insects (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha) based on the morphology of the adult males, Zootaxa 4765 (1), pp. 1-264 : 55-58

Apiomorpha ovicola (Froggatt) ( Fig. 20 )

Brachyscelis ovicola Schrader 1863, 2 . Type data: Australia. Type status unknown, female.

Brachyscelis minor Froggatt 1893, 363–364 . Type data: Australia, New South Wales, Wollongong, on stunted Eucalyptus sp. and E. haemastoma, Botany and Berowera. Type status unknown. Junior synonym ( Mills et al. 2017, 484 –486).

Apiomorpha minor (Schrader) ; Cockerell 1896c, 328. Change of combination.

Apiomorpha ovicola (Schrader) ; Cockerell 1896c, 328. Change of combination.

Apiomorpha dumosa Froggatt 1930, 468 . Type data: Australia, Victoria, near Mildura, W.S. Campbell. Lectotype, female, by subsequent designation ( Gullan 1984, 67). Type depository: ANIC. Junior synonym ( Gullan 1984, 64).

Material examined. Apiomorpha ovicola , Clade 9, Australia, NSW, Tomaree Headland track, Tomaree NP, -

32.713, 152.187, “southern large” Eucalyptus pilularis (Myrtaceae) , 23.xii.2010, P.J. Mills 00208 ( ANIC): 2/2 ad ♂♂ (fair to poor).

(Described from 2 specimens in rather poor condition, both missing antennae and wings and rather twisted but most characters visible).

Mounted material: of moderate size, total length 1.95–2.1 mm, width across mesothorax 380 μm, abdomen not attenuated but narrow; only scape and pedicel present but latter with fleshy setae (fs), each short, 25 μm long, and parel- lel sided; fs also present on tibia and tarsi. Small simple pores in a group antero-dorsally on head; loculate pores present in a small group near anterior spiracles, in addition to glandular pouches. Wings broken off. Hamulohalteres absent. Glandular pouches present. Abdominal segment IX clearly seperate from style.

Head: width across genae about 345 μm; head length about 225 μm. Median crest (mc) represented only by a shallow median ridge of light sclerotisation with no reticulations. Postoccipital ridge (por) well developed, broadening laterally, anterior arms rather parallel and close together but posterior arms widening; with 4 pairs of hs dorsal head setae (dhs); minute simple pores present in a group of 5–8 on either side of dorsal arm of mid-cranial ridge. Mid-cranial ridge: dorsal ridge (dmcr) well developed, extending posteriorly to level with dorsal simple eyes; ventral ridge (vmcr) represented by a pair of distinct lateral arms (lmcr), and extending posteriorly to ocular sclerite ventrally; with 3–5 pairs of hs ventral mid-cranial ridge setae (vmcrs) on either side anterior to occipital sclerite. Genae (g) not reticulated but with 1 or 2 hs genal setae (gs) on each side laterad to postoccipital ridge. Eyes: with two pairs of large, round, slightly protruding, simple eyes, subequal in size, each about 95 μm wide; ventral eyes quite far forward and possibly even anterior to dorsal eyes. Ocelli (o) apparently absent. Ocular sclerite (ocs) without striations or reticulations around eyes or elsewhere. Preocular ridge (procr) extending almost to mid-cranial ridge. Postocular ridge (pocr) strongly developed ventrally and extending dorsally to level with dorsal simple eyes. Dorsal ocular setae absent. Ventral head setae absent. Preoral ridge absent. Cranial apophysis (ca) not definitely detected.

Antennae: all flagella segments missing. Scape (scp): 58–63 μm long, 70–83 μm wide, with 2 hs ventrally and 2 dorsally. Pedicel (pdc): length 62–70 μm, width 55–60 μm; without concentric ridges; with at least 6 fs + 4 or 5 hs + 1 campaniform pore, but most setae broken off.

Thorax. Prothorax: pronotal ridge (prnr) well developed and probably fusing medially on dorsum; lateral pronotal sclerites (prn) distinct; without lateral pronotal setae. Medial pronotal and post-tergital setae apparently absent. Post-tergites not detected. Sternum (stn 1) not sclerotised and with only very feint radial striations; transverse ridge barely discernable, without apophyses; median ridge absent; hs prosternal setae absent. Proepisternum + cervical sclerite (pepcv) showing nothing distinctive. Anteprosternal setae absent; but with 1 pair of antemesospiracular setae + 2–5 loculate pores anterolaterally to spiracle.

Mesothorax: prescutum (prsc) elongate, length significantly greater than width, 205 μm long, 145–175 μm wide; sclerotised, without nodulations; prescutal ridges (pscr) well developed; prescutal suture (pscs) poorly developed or represented by slight striations; prescutal setae absent. Prealare (pra) and triangular plate (tp) well developed. Scutum (sct): median area sclerotised, about 60 μm long, without scutal setae; anterolateral margins not striated; prealar ridge (prar) weak. Scutellum (scl) rather rounded anteriorly and therefore width unclear but perhaps 170 μm wide, 100 μm long; with a strong, inverted U-shaped scutellar ridge (sclr); not tubular but with a large foramen; with 1 pair of scutellar setae (scls); posterior notal wing process (pnp) quite long, diagonal and heavily sclerotised. Basisternum (stn 2) 320 μm wide, 250 μm long; median ridge absent; bounded anteriorly by a weak marginal ridge (mr), absent medially, and posteriorly by strong precoxal ridges (pcr 2); without basisternal setae (stn 2 s); lateropleurite (lpl) rather narrow, without an extension from marginal ridge; furca (f) moderately short, of characteristic shape, with a broad base and narrow-waisted and with very short lateral arms. Mesopostnotum (pn 2) well developed; postnotal apophysis (pna) well developed. Area bounded anteriorly by scutellum and laterally and posteriorly by mesopostnotum membranous. Mesepisternum (eps 2) not reticulated; subepisternal ridge (ser) strongly sclerotised, arising from lateral ridges of basisternum. Postalare (pa) well developed; without postalare setae and not reticulated anteriorly. Mesothoracic spiracle (sp 2): width of peritreme 33–40 μm. Postmesospiracular setae (pm 2 s) absent. Tegula (teg) present; with about 4 pairs of tegular setae (tegs).

Metathorax: metapostnotum quite broad; with 1 pair of hs metatergal setae (mts) medially. Dorsospiracular setae (dss): 1 or 2 pairs hs. Dorsal part of metapleural ridge present but without a suspensorial sclerite; ventral part of metapleural ridge (plr 3) normal; precoxal ridge absent but mesepisternum (eps 3) present; without postmetaspiracular setae. Metepimeron (epm 3) short, without setae. Antemetaspiracular setae absent. Metathoracic spiracle (sp 3): width of peritreme 40–45 μm. Metasternum (stn 3) membranous, metasternal apophyses (stn 3 a) not detected; without anterior (amss) or posterior metasternal setae (pmss).

Wings: mostly missing; sclerites appearing normal; alar lobe present. Hamulohalteres absent.

Legs: metathoracic legs longest. Coxae (cx): I 140–165; II 150–175; III 150–175 μm long; with 26–40 fs + 8–12 hs on each coxa III; long apical seta setose, each 40–45 μm long. Trochanter (tr) + femur (fm): I 300; II 306–340; III 335–365 μm long; trochanter III with 8–10 fs + 4–8 hs; campaniform pores oval and in a semicircle; long trochanter seta 45–60 μm long, femur III with 12–24 fs + 14–22 hs. Tibia (ti): I 345; II 345–385; III 350–390 μm long, tibia III with many setae including several fs; with 2 apical spurs (tibs), length 20–25 μm. Tarsi (ta): I 128; II 130–145; III 140–155 μm long (ratio of length of tibia III to that of tarsus III 1:0.40); tarsi two segmented; tarsus III with many setae, including fs; tarsal spurs not spur-like, each 23 μm long; tarsal campaniform pore (cp) present; tarsal and claw digitules all missing. Claws (c) quite broad, length subequal to width of tarsi, almost straight, generally with a hint of a denticle; length: III 28–33 μm.

Abdomen: not attenuated; tergites (at) absent; sternites (as) apparently only present on segment VIII; pleurites all membranous. Caudal extensions (ce) of segment VII absent. Setae all long hs, each 55–125 μm long: dorsal ab- dominal setae (ads) I–VII each with 4 or 5 hs; ventral abdominal setae (avs): II–VII each with 4 hs; dorsal pleural setae (dpls): I–VII each with generally 3 hs, and ventral pleural setae (vpls) I–VII each with 1 or 2 hs.

Segment VIII: tergite (at) apparently unsclerotised but sternite sclerotised; ante-anal setae absent. Setae: all long hs, with 4 long pleural setae on caudal extension, longest 140–145 μm, others 65–85 μm long; caudal extension (ce) distinct and elongate, length 65–70 μm. Glandular pouches (gp) cone-shaped, with loculate pores extending out of pouch; with 2 glandular pouch setae (gps), each 100–125 μm long with sharp apices.

Genital segments: penial sheath (ps) divided into a bulbous segment IX and a longer, sharply pointed style; length of segment IX 65–70 μm, width 105–115 μm; anal opening 40 μm wide, near posterior margin of segment IX; segment IX with 5–6 hs setae ventrally and on each side. Length of style 175–185 μm, width at base 65–73 μm; with a long, narrow, parallel-sided apex; with a pair of long hs about 1/4th along length, each 50–65 μm long; other setae absent; apex with a few small sensilla. Aedeagus (aed) quite long, broad along half its length (40 μm wide), tapering to a narrow apex; length 120–140 μm. Basal rod (bra) very short, about 35 μm long

Comment. The adult males of both A. ovicola and A. munita tereticornuta have well-developed caudal extensions. For other similarities and differences see latter species above and key. In addition, the males of this species have: (i) an elongate mesothorax; (ii) long dorsal abdominal setae, and (iii) a rather broad aedeagus.

Figures

FIGURE 20. Apiomorpha ovicola (Froggatt). Macropterous male. (Eriococcidae,Acanthococcid group). WhereA=cranial apophysis, C=loculate pore, D=fleshy seta, E=hair-like seta, N=side view of simple eye and X=pores on head.