Anzaspis pandani Łagowska & Hodgson, 2012

Łagowska, Bozena, 2012, Two more new species of armoured scale insect (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea: Diaspididae) from Fiji, Zootaxa 3384, pp. 60-67 : 63-65

Anzaspis pandani Łagowska & Hodgson spec. nov.

( Fig. 2 )

Type material studied: Holotype Ƥ: FIJI, Viti Levu, Rakiraki-Tavua Road, on Pandanus sp. ( Pandanaceae ), 25.xi.1949, no coll. ( BMNH): 1/1 adf (good). Paratype Ƥ data as for holotype ( BMNH): 2/4 adff (all with anterior end separate from pygydial end, one with anterior end missing, otherwise fair).

Slide-mounted specimens small, about 0.6–0.9 mm long; body elongate-oval, widest at abdominal segment I or II. Head gently rounded to flat; pygidium rounded.

Pygidium with well-developed prominent median lobes, strongly zygotic at base and recessed into apex of pygidium, space narrow at base, then diverging, inner margin of each lobe with 1 or 2 notches, outer margin with 1 notch. Second lobes well developed, bilobed, with inner lobules smaller than median lobes, each with notches on both sides; outer lobules smaller than inner lobules with a notch on outer margin only. Third lobes represented by serrations on the margin. Gland spines arranged singly on pygidial segments IV–VII, absent more anteriorly. Marginal macroducts longer than wide, with one macroduct between median and second lobes and another associated with second lobes.

Dorsum with marginal and submarginal groups of macroducts present on segments III–VI, with totals on each side: (marginal + submarginal macroducts) VI & V 9–15; IV 5–11, III 1–6; submedial macroducts arranged in groups: VI 1–4; V possibly none, IV 0–3. Dorsal microducts and bosses absent. Anal opening oval, 9–10 μm wide, positioned 110–140 μm from posterior margin in anterior quarter of pygidium.

Ventral surface with quinquelocular perivulvar pores in 5 elongate groups (posterio-lateral groups 20–36; medio-lateral groups 13–22 and anterior group 5–6 pores). Microducts present submarginally on abdominal segments III–VI and submedially on segments III & IV and on mesothorax near anterior spiracles. Small two-barred ducts present submarginally: I 5, II 3, III 0 or 1; also in groups of 9–12 on metathorax and 9–14 on mesothorax. Ventral duct tubercles distributed singly on submargin of abdominal segments III & IV. Antennae each with 3 long setae, 2 stout and 1 narrower. Anterior spiracles each with a group of 5–9 trilocular pores; posterior spiracles without pores.

Etymology: the name pandani is the genitive singular of the generic name of the host plant on which this species was collected, Pandanus sp.

Comment. It is clear that A. pandani is structurally very similar to Anzaspis pandanicola (Williams & Watson) , which is also currently only known from Fiji. However, the new species has three long antennal setae whereas A. pandanicola has only one. In addition, A. pandani differs from A. pandanicola as follows (characters on A. pandanicola in brackets): (i) all pygidial segments with one pair of gland spines (2–4 pairs on anterior segments); (ii) submedial macroducts of similar size to submarginal macroducts (significantly smaller); (iii) perivulvar pores more abundant - postero-lateral groups 20–36 (15–23), mediolateral 13–22 (6–10) and anterior group 5–6 (3–5); and (iv) small two-barred ducts absent from laterad to each anterior spiracle (a few generally present). The fact that these two species ( A. pandani and A. pandanicola ) were collected in Fiji off the same host-plant genus might suggest that these two species are the same, but the above differences held for all available specimens of both.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Adult female Anzaspis pandani Łagowska & Hodgson.