Heteromargarodes Jakubski, 1965

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 : 25-26

Heteromargarodes Jakubski, 1965

TYPE SPECIES: Heteromargarodes americanus Jakubski, 1965 ; by original designation and monotypy.

OCCURRENCE: Recent distribution in the Nearctic. Fossil distribution in Cambay formation of India.

GENERIC DIAGNOSIS (macropterous male): Heteromargarodes differs from other genera of the Margarodidae with the following combination on characters: bifurcated setae absent on legs (vs. present), compound eyes with large ommatidia and almost forming sclerites surrounding the head (vs. definite lateral compound eyes), prothoracic legs significantly shorter than mesothoracic legs (vs. not significantly shorter).

SPECIES INCLUDED: Heteromargarodes americanus Jakubski, 1965 , H. chukar ( La Rivers, 1967) , H. hiemalis ( Cockerell, 1899) , H. hukamsinghi , n. sp.

COMMENTS: Heteromargarodes was defined based on adult female morphology and originally included only H. americanus Jakubski, 1965 . Unruh and Gullan (2007) later transferred Margarodes chukar ( La Rivers, 1967) and Porphyrophora hiemalis ( Cockerell, 1899) to the genus based on “(i) raised bare patches on the derm, (ii) long hairlike body setae, and (iii) sievelike multilocular pores” (Unruh and Gullan, 2007: 171). All species of Recent Heteromargarodes are distributed in North America. The adult males of H. americanus and H.? chukar have been described ( Hodgson and Foldi, 2006). At the time of the description H.? chukar was assigned to Margarodes , and based on comparison with Margarodes prieskaensis ( Jakubski, 1965) , the authors already doubted the assignment of this species to Margarodes , although they did not suggest a potential genus transfer. Additionally, it is possible that the specimen identified and described in Hodgson and Foldi (2006) is not H. chuckar , thus the generic diagnosis is here based only on the morphology of H. americanus and H. hukamsinghi , n. sp.

Heteromargarodes hukamsinghi , n. sp., is assigned within this genus based on the description of the adult male of Heteromargarodes americanus . Given the morphological variation among genera in Margarodidae sensu stricto, provided in Hodgson and Foldi (2006), namely Dimargarodes Silvestri, 1938 , Heteromargarodes , Margarodes Guilding, 1829 , Neomargarodes Green, 1914 , and Porphyrophora Brandt in Brandt and Ratzeburg, 1833, Heteromargarodes is the probable genus to which H. hukamsinghi , n. sp., belongs, as based on the following features: general shape of antennal segments, each more enlarged proximally (this feature is found in H. americanus although in H.

chuckar the antennal segments are significantly shortened); the shape of compound eye, almost forming a plate surrounding the head (most resembling H. americanus ); the legs slender in appearance, with fossorial prolegs significantly shorter than the meso- and metathoracic legs (as opposed to other genera of the family); and by the absence of bifurcated setae on the legs. The phylogenetic analysis retrieved H. hukamsinghi , n. sp., within the family Margarodidae , related to Heteromargarodes americanus and Porphyrophora hameli Brandt, 1833 , although there is no further resolution. In general, too few Margarodidae males are currently known and future interspecific variation assessments could provide a more definitive assignment of this fossil species. This fossil constitutes the first occurrence of the family Margarodidae sensu stricto in the fossil record.