Pseudoweitschatus audebertis, Vea & Grimaldi, 2015

Vea, Isabelle M. & Grimaldi, David A., 2015, Diverse new scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) in amber from the Cretaceous and Eocene with a phylogenetic framework for fossil Coccoidea, American Museum Novitates 2015 (3823), pp. 1-80 : 16-19

Pseudoweitschatus audebertis , new species

Figures 1A , 2

TYPE LOCALITY: Myanmar: Kachin: near Tanai Village . Albian-Cenomanian boundary .

TYPE: Holotype AMNH Bu-1416 alate male, in a 10 × 8 × 2 mm rectangular, bright orange, transparent polished amber piece; specimen in good condition, but thoracic structures significantly shriveled, so the original shapes are uncertain, wings completely spread with one wing lying on a crack, dorsal tubular secretions directed upward; accessible views: ventral (but thoracic structures obscured) and dorsal. Myanmar, Kachin, Tanai Village, on Ledo Road, 105 km NW Myitkyna), Leeward Capitol Corp coll., deposited in the American Museum of Natural History.

ETYMOLOGY: The epithet is in reference to Vincent Audebert, the first author’s high school biology teacher, who inspired her to pursue studies in evolutionary biology. This is a general tribute to scientific educators and their importance in teaching with a passion that creates future scientists.

DIAGNOSIS: As for genus.

DESCRIPTION: Body large and robust, 1.76 mm long, largest width at mesothorax, 465 μm. Head: Transversely rectangular, dorsoventrally flattened, 405 μm wide, 215 μm long. Each ocular sclerite with a pair of large compound eyes protruding laterally, eye length ca. 125 μm, each eye with about 100 ommatidia. Ocelli hardly observable but present dorsad to compound eyes (fig. 2A). Dorsal midcranial ridge well developed and extending to a strongly sclerotized postoccipital ridge (fig. 2A), setae present at least on margin of dorsum of head. Ventral surface of head with ridges forming a five-armed star comprising the midcranial ridge starting anteriorly and fusing with two preocular ridges and two preoral ridges (fig. 2B). Antenna (fig. 2C): 10-segmented and long, total length 1.30–1.33 mm; lengths of segments (in μm): scape 75–80; pedicel 70–75; flagellar segments III to X all filiform, most segments irregularly binodose, apical segment the shortest; III 125; IV

180–185; V 180–190; VI 140–160; VII 135–150; VIII 135; IX 130–135; X 120. All flagellar segments covered with long setae (110–150 μm), some of them forming whorls of 4 or 9 setae, with few shorter setae (ca. 50 μm) mainly between whorls. Apical segment with 4 or 5 shorter setae curved apically (ca.100 μm) and 4–5 small bristles (ca. 40 μm), and a basiconic sensillum. Capitate setae absent. Thorax: Head and thorax separated by a slight neck constriction. Prothorax well developed but membranous. Ridges on prothorax not observable. Structures of mesothorax shrunken but still dif- ferentiable. Dorsally: prescutum oval (ca. 170 μm wide and 100 μm long), bulging anteriorly, without prescutal setae; scutum without membranous area, scutellum suboval (ca. 165 μm wide, 140 μm long), but anteriorly almost forming a right angle (unclear whether this is due to shriveling of the thoracic structures), scutellum with strongly sclerotized ridges. Ventral thoracic structures obscured. Wings (fig. 1A): Forewing oval, broad at base, almost parallel sided, with apex tapered, 1.55 mm long and 740 μm widest; subcostal ridge extending from base of wing to more than 3/4 wing length, apically forming a distinct club-shaped pterostigma. Cubital ridge starting at 270 μm from wing base and fading before reaching pterostigma level; posterior flexing patch beginning halfway between wing base and cubital ridge; anterior flexing patch less obvious but appearing at same location as cubital ridge but separating progressively. Alar setae absent, sensoria present as a row along subcostal ridge, microtrichia absent. Alar fold present. Hamulohalteres (fig. 2E) large and elongate, leaf shaped, ca. 210 μm long, 50 μm wide; each with four hamuli attached on anterodistal margin. Legs (fig. 2D): Slender, all of subequal length, cuticular reticulations absent; coxa ca. 85 μm long; trochanter and femur, 40 μm wide, 305 μm long on proleg, with hairlike setae; tibia: 342 long μm, 22 μm wide, with short spinelike setae, tibial spurs not differentiated; tarsus 2-segmented (second segment short and triangular), 120 μm long, 20 μm wide, setae of same size as tarsal width, tarsal digitules undifferentiated; claw 20 μm, thin and almost uncurved, with two spinose claw digitules, denticle absent. Abdomen: Cylindrical, ca. 1.01 mm long (810 μm without penial sheath), 325 μm widest. Tergites and sternites well developed and segmentation easy to delineate, without small caudal extensions on last abdominal segments. Abdominal setae present, short and strong but distribution not clear. Tergite VI and VII each with, one row of 6–9 tubular ducts, extruding wax filaments. Genital segment (fig. 2G): Penial sheath originating posteroventrally to anus, triangular, 275 μm long, 80 μm wide at base, narrowing from about 1/2 length of penial sheath, with short setae present anteriorly. Aedeagus slender and pointed at the apex. Eversible endophallus probably present inside.

Kozariidae , new family

TYPE GENUS: Kozarius , n. gen., by present designation and monotypy.

DIAGNOSIS: Kozariidae differs from other fossil families by the combination of the following characters: body minute, head large, compound eyes bulging, with less than 100 ommatidia; antenna with filiform segments, capitate and fleshy setae on apical segment; prescutum vertically elongate (vs. oval or horizontally elongate in other families), without prescutal setae, scutellum rhombus or subrhombus shaped; wings hyaline, without microtrichia or pterostigma, with a subcostal ridge extending to 3/4 wing length, cubital ridge and posterior flexing patch present; hamulohalteres present, long and narrow (leaf shaped in several archaeococcoid families, but similar to, e.g., Ortheziidae ); legs slender, tarsus 1-segmented, shorter than tibia; claw thin and elongate, almost uncurved, claw digitules slightly clavate, claw denticle absent; abdomen with tubular ducts on tergites VI and VII. Genital segment with exceptionally elongate and apically curved penial sheath.

GENUS INCLUDED: Kozarius , n. gen.

COMMENTS: Kozariidae is unique among families based on the shape of the prescutum, particularly in its being elongate vertically. Most of the other families have an oval to round prescutum, and if elongate it is always horizontal (e.g., Xylococcidae ). Kozarius shows some similarities with Matsucoccus Cockerell, 1909 . The head structure overall resembles that of Matsucoccus , especially the general shape, the apical flagellar segment bearing capitate setae and curved bristles, and the protruding compound eyes. The short mesopostnotum is also reminiscent of Matsucoccus . However, there are other obvious features that differ significantly from Matsucoccus : the presence of tubular ducts on segments VI and VII (vs. only present on segment VII in Matsucoccus ), the long penial sheath, the significantly smaller body size, the proportions of the abdomen, and the presence of setae and a strong median ridge on the basisternum (vs. basisternal median ridge present or absent, and setae absent). Additionally, Matsucoccidae is one of the most morphologically homogeneous families (one extant and one fossil genus), the males of which are easily recognized by their wing membrane structure bearing parallel pennate ridges. This distinctive wing ornamentation is even preserved as an impression in sedimentary rock, representing the oldest definitive coccoid ( Koteja, 1999). Matsucoccidae are common in Eocene Baltic amber (Koteja, 2000). Interestingly, this “herring bone” wing membrane pattern is strongly conserved, showing little variation among Recent and fossil Matsucoccidae . Kozarius does not bear pennate ridges on the forewings (very reduced venation). Therefore, it can be excluded from the Matsucoccidae . Moreover, our phylogenetic analysis retrieved the family as monophyletic and was included in an extinct lineage comprised of Lebanococcidae , Alacrena , n. gen., and Xiphos , n. gen., both considered incertae sedis, as well as Burmacoccidae in Burmese amber. Despite the rough similarity to Matsucoccidae , Kozarius does not seem to be related to this family.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Photomicrographs of (A) Dorsal view of Pseudoweitschatus audebertis, n. sp., holotype AMNH Bu-1416. (B) Ventral view of Kozarius perpetuus, n. sp., holotype AMNH Bu-1163. (C) Ventral view of K. achronus, n. sp., holotype AMNH Bu-233a.

FIGURE 2. Details of Pseudoweitschatus audebertis, n. sp. (A) Dorsal view of head. (B) Ventral view of head. (C) Antenna. (D) Leg. (E) Hamulohaltere. (G) Ventral view of penial sheath.