Neomargarodes erythrocephalus Green, 1914

Hodgson, Chris & Foldi, Imre, 2006, A review of the Margarodidae sensu Morrison (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) and some related taxa based on the morphology of adult males, Zootaxa 1263 (1), pp. 1-250 : 1-250

Neomargarodes erythrocephalus Green

( Fig. 12 )

Neomargarodes erythrocephalus Green : 1914: 263.

Material studied

Lectotype: ALGERIA, El Maksa , Algerian Shara, South of El Jolea, at light, 2.x.1913, Hartert coll. ( BMNH): 1/1ad ♂; paralectotype: site as previous, no date, coll. W. Rothschild ( BMNH): 1/1ad ♂ (both specimens in fair to good condition).

Mounted material Large, 3.3–3.5 mm long, 0.77–0.94 mm wide across prealare. Body moderately setose, with many very long setae (120–270 m long), most parallel­sided with a blunt apex and shallow basal sockets, here considered to be fleshy setae (fs); other setae short with a slightly more distinct socket, here considered to be hair­like setae (hs). Collared setae (cs), hairs (hrs), loculate pores (lp) and convex pores (cp) absent. Antennae short, apparently 7­ segmented but with middle 3 segments branched (possibly representing other 3 segments of normal 10­segmented antenna); long setae present only on basal 3 segments; more terminal segments with numerous short, parallel­sided, fleshy setae; satellite setae (sats) absent. Some sclerotised areas on body with nodulations. Legs well developed but all relatively short; anterior legs fossorial; procoxae, protrochanter and profemur with many bifurcating setae (bs); other legs not as setose; spur­like setae present on meso­ and metatibiae and tarsi; tarsi 1 segmented; claws without a denticle; claw digitules setose. Abdominal segment I not visible ventrally; abdomen with groups of tubular ducts on segments VI and VII; without lateral caudal extensions. Penial sheath strongly sclerotised and appearing quadrate but perhaps tubular, with a short aedeagus.

Head

Triangular in dorsal view, length 285–385 m, width across compound eyes 540– 575 m. Dorsally without a postoccipital suture (pos); rest of dorsomedial part of epicranium (dmep) lightly sclerotised, forming a median crest (mc) which extends to posterior margin of head. Midcranial ridge (mcr) absent. Dmep with 6–9 long fs on each side (each 60–70 m long). Pores absent. Laterally: compound eyes (cde) covering most of head, just or almost touching each other near posterior margin of head ventrally; dorsally also with only a narrow gap between cde; each with about 31 ommatidia, each ommatidium rather large, 48–75 m wide; total length of cde 254– 300 m. Each compound eye (cde) bordered by dorsal extensions of preocular (procr) and postocular ridges (pocr), and by a ventral extensions of preocular ridge (procr) anteriorly and preoral ridge (pror) posteriorly; sclerotised ventral projection (p) absent. Ocular sclerite (ocs) and ocelli absent. Ventrally: head almost entirely covered by compound eyes, but with a fairly short ventral mid­cranial ridge (vmcr) extending posteriorly from a pair of short lateral arms (lmcr) anteriorly between antennae. With 8–10 long fs on each side of vmcr posteriorly between eyes. Ventral plate (vp) probably represented by a small inverted Y­shaped sclerotisation medially on posterior margin of head just anterior to mouth (m). Cranial apophysis (ca) not detected. No structures representing tentorial arms, tentorial bridge or tendon­like apodemes detected but mouth (m) clearly visible just posterior to ventral plate (vp). Ventral sclerites (vs) absent or fused to anterior end of cervical sclerites.

Antennae: structure complex ­ basically 7­segmented, but with lateral extensions from segments IV, V and VI; total length (without lateral extensions) 1.1–1.2 mm (ratio of total­body length to antennal length 1:0.34). Scape (scp) 95–135 m long, 95–145 m wide, sclerotised, with 5–8 long fs on dorsal and inner margin + 8–14 very short hs, mainly along proximal margin on dorsal surface. Pedicel (pdc) 90–105 m long, 90–130 m wide, articulating with scape; with 13–23 long fs, 2–7 hs (mainly very short) + 8–10 small basiconic sensilla (bass); no campaniform sensilla (camp) present. Segment III broader than long (44–55 m long, 85–115 m wide) with 11–15 long fs on inner margin and 6–12 short hs on outer margin. Other "flagellar segments" and lateral extensions rather broad, covered in abundant short fs, each parallel­sided, with a blunt apex, mostly 13–17 m long, but a few much shorter, 5 m long; satellite setae (sats) absent; most segments also with an occasional hs. Segments IV–VI each with a lateral branch, each branch significantly longer than segment from which it arises; segment lengths (m): IV 100–135, lateral arm 225–290; V 120–155, lateral arm 350–395; VI 140–175, lateral arm 370–395; VII 440–470. Segment VI with 1–3 thicker and longer bristle­like setae (ab?); segment IV with 3–5 long fs, segments VI and VII with 0–2 fs; VII without long setae.

Thorax

Prothorax: separated from head by a broad neck, with no indications of a cervical groove. Dorsally: pronotum (prn) possibly represented by a lightly sclerotised area just anterior to prescutum. Post­tergites (pt) large and lightly sclerotised, broadest posteriorly and most heavily sclerotised anteriorly. Laterally with a pair of strong cervical sclerites (cv) which may not articulate with any head structure, but broaden close to neck (and therefore possibly fused with ventral sclerites (vs)); pleural ridge (plr 1) short. Ventrally: prosternum (stn 1) membranous, without a sternite or prosternal apophysis, but with what appears to be a distinct transverse ridge. Setae as follows: with 7 or 8 long fs median pronotal setae (mpns) on pronotum; with an elongate group of long fs propleural setae (pl 1 s) on each side of prothorax; with about 12 long fs post­tergital setae (pts) associated with each post­tergite (pt); ventrally with (on each side) a group of about 8–10 long fs anteprosternal (stn 1 s) setae (stsn 1 s) plus 4 or 5 long fs prosternal setae (stsn 1 s) laterally near end of prosternal transverse ridge. Antemesospiracular setae (asp 2 s) absent.

Mesothorax: dorsally: prescutum (prsc) large and oval, 230–320 m long, greatest width 445 m, surface obscurely nodulated; mesoprephragma (phr 1) short; prescutal ridges (pscr) short; prescutal sutures (pscs) forming posterior margin; without prescutal setae (prscs). Scutum (sct) sclerotised throughout and mostly faintly nodulated; distance from prescutum to scutellum about 200 m; with an elongate group of 11–20 mainly long fs scutal setae (scts) (occasionally hs) on either side of scutellum. Scutellum (scl) triangular; without oval membranous areas laterally, and without scutellar setae (scls); scutellum with a rather stronger ridge (rd) along posterior margin, extending postero­laterally, but apparently not reaching postalare (pa) laterally. Mesopostnotum (pn 2) with a large membranous area anteriorly, latter overlapped posteriorly by metathorax; mesopostnotal apophyses (pn 2 a) large. Laterally: prealare (pra) elongate. Tegula (teg) large and sclerotised, with a group of 8–16 long fs tegular setae (tegs). Mesopleural ridge (plr 2) well developed, with a deep pleural apophysis (pla 2). Mesepisternum (eps 2) lightly nodulated. Mesothoracic spiracles (sp 2): width of peritremes 90– 110 m. Ventrally: basisternum (stn 2) large but poorly demarcated; lightly nodulated; approximate length 455–540 m, width 580–700 m; with a total of 30–80 short hs throughout; median ridge (mdr) absent; anterior margin of basisternum fading anteriorly without a marginal ridge (mr) but mr present laterally between basisternum and lateropleurite (lpl); posteriorly with welldeveloped precoxal ridges (pcr 2); furca (f) poorly developed, broad basally but narrowing and becoming more or less parallel­sided, without lateral arms; length 190–290 m; lateropleurite (lpl) large and elongate, bounded posteriorly by a broad precoxal ridge (pcr 2) and laterally by an extension of subepisternal ridge (ser); each lpl with group of 10–18 lateropleurite setae (lpls), mainly long fs but with a few hs of medium­length; without setae on marginal and subepisternal ridges; subepisternal ridge (ser) distinct but perhaps short. Without postmesospiracular setae (pm 2 s). Wing sclerites: apparently similar to other members of this group.

Metathorax: dorsally: metapostnotum (pn 3) possibly absent; with 6–8 widely separated long fs metatergal setae (mts) medially. Laterally: with a group of 7–15 long fs dorsospiracular setae (dss). Suspensorial sclerites (ss) not detected. Pleural ridge (plr 3) well developed; pleural apophysis (pla 3) shallow. Metepisternum (eps 3) present as a sclerotisation on ventral margin of metapleural ridge (plr 3); precoxal ridge (pcr 3) well developed and extending about 190–260 m medio­ventrally; metepimeron (epm 3) present as a short posterior ridge. Posterior spiracles (sp 3): width of peritremes about 80– 105 m. Ventrally: postmetaspiracular (eps 3 s) setae: about 2–4 on each side. Metasternum (stn 3) sclerotised, with well­developed lateral apophyses (stn 3 a) (on 1 specimen, there is an additional sclerotisation anteriorly). Postmesoprecoxal ridge setae (ppcr 2 s) absent. Anterior metasternal setae (amss): total of 8–30 setae, mainly long fs (on 1 specimen, setae restricted to medially anterior to metasternum, on other much more abundant and extending a long way laterally); posterior metasternal setae (pmss) total of 9–12 setae, mainly long fs.

Wings: large and well developed, with anterior margin crenulated along distal half. Subcostal thickening (sclt) well developed; wing anterior to sclt distinctly sclerotised; rest of wing membranous, sometimes with faint reticulations; without circular sensoria (sens) but with a line of 25–37 fine alar setae (als) along subcostal thickening, each 55–75 m long, extending from near wing base; radius (rad) and media (med) veins represented by light sclerotisations; alar fold (af) not detected. Alar lobe (al) well developed and lightly sclerotised. Hamulohalteres (h) mainly lightly sclerotised and broad, with a strong vein along anterior margin, which has a deep indentation proximally; length 380–515 m, width 120–200 m; each with 1 blunt, apically bent, hamulus (ham), about 45–50 m long.

Legs: prothoracic legs fossorial, meso­ and metathoracic legs much longer and more slender. Prothoracic legs: lengths (m): coxae (cx) 285–300; trochanter (tr) + femur (fm) 430–525; tibia (ti) + tarsus (ta) + claw (c) 315–375; coxae (cx) with a few very short hs near coxal base + many bifurcating setae (bs) and long fs on inner distal surface; trochanter (tr) with many bifurcating setae (bs) and short hs + 2 or 3 long fs; each trochanter with 8–14 campaniform sensilla (camp); trochanterofemur articulation not clear, diagonal; femur (fm) with about 400–500 bs on posterior surface + 17–23 long fs (each about 100–170 m long) on dorsal margin plus a few short hs; tibia (ti) + tarsus (ta) fused without any sign of segmentation; with about 5 long fs + 35 bs on posterior margin and with about 18 hs of medium­length and 15–20 small, peg­like setae elsewhere; tibial (tibs) and tarsal spurs (tabs) absent; without campaniform sensilla (camp) on proximal dorsal surface; claws (c) broadly fused to base of tibio­tarsus, with no articulation; without claw digitules (cdgt). Meso­ and metathoracic legs: lengths (m): coxa: II 245–290; III 270–340 m; metacoxa with a group of about 25 small hs near base + 24–30 long fs distally. Trochanter (tr) + femur (fm): II 440–535; III 415–560 m; metatrochanter with 11–16 shortish hs + about 0–2 long fs; with a group of 4–11 campaniform sensilla (camp) on each lateral surface near coxal articulation; metafemur with 18–20 long fs + 10–12 short hs + 1 bs. Tibia (ti): II 440–515; III 480–600; metatibia with 18 or 19 spur­like setae along ventral margin; bifurcating setae (bs) absent; with 3–6 long fs plus about 4 tibial spurs (tibs) distally, longest about 35 m long. Tarsi (ta) 1 segmented, II 220–255; III 215–220 m; with only 1 campaniform sensillum (camp) on proximal dorsal surface; without bifurcating setae but with 0 or 1 spur­like seta along ventral margin plus about 16–24 other hs; tarsal spurs (tabs) absent; tarsal digitules (tdgt) very short (22 m long) but perhaps with small swollen apices. Claws (c) large and broad basally, without a denticle (cd); claw III about 76–80 m long, with 2 short, fine digitules (cdgt), each about 15–19 m long.

Abdomen

Without caudal extensions (ce). Large tergites (at) and sternites (as) present medially on all segments; tergites all clearly nodulated; sternite VIII with an additional narrow sclerotisation laterally, extending anteriorly from outer margin of penial sheath. Each tergite and sternite with about 6–20 long fs + 6–20 short hs; pores absent. Segments VI and VII each with a median group of 9 large, sclerotised tubular ducts (tdc), each about 17 m wide and 50–70 m long, each with about 6 internal longitudinal ridges which spiral slightly; each group of ducts with a line or band of minute setae (each 3–5 m long) along anterior margin. Pleurites present on segments II–VIII; pleural setae probably divided into dorsal (dps) and ventral pleural setae (vps) but separation unclear; with perhaps 2–4 dps and 1–3 vps on each segment; pores absent. Abdominal spiracles (asp): perhaps 5 pairs, that on segment VIII strongly sclerotised and obvious, openings becoming less distinct anteriorly, so that spiracles on segment IV very indistinct and none could be detected on segments I–III.

Genital segment: anal opening (a) on dorsal surface near anterior margin of penial sheath. Penial sheath (ps) strongly sclerotised, appearing quadrate when viewed dorsoventrally, with rather parallel sides but probably rather tubular; about 230–250 m long, 290–300 m wide; penial sheath with many short hs (pss) and, particularly, many small sensilla (psp) near posterior margins. Penial sheath appearing to have an opening posteriorly through which aedeagus (aed) and eversible endophallus (eph) emerge. With a sclerotised basal rod (bra) at base of aedeagus; aedeagus (aed) rather membranous with more or less parallel sides, emerging posteriorly from penial sheath, about 300 m long, 80 m wide; with an eversible endophallus (eph) lying within abdomen.

Comment

The male of N. erythrocephalus was redescribed by Foldi in 1999. The present description differs in some small details. N. chondrillae Arch. was also seen and was very similar. The male of Neomargarodes species appear to be distinct and differ significantly from the other males described here. Thus, although Williams (1969) questioned whether subfamily status was justified, the structure of the adult male suggests that perhaps it is.

With regard to the abdominal spiracles, strong tracheae were present running laterally along all segments but, in segments I–III, there did not appear to be any branch that extended to the cuticle unlike the situation on segments V–VIII. The spiracle on segment IV was very faint but, although a spiracular opening could not definitely be detected, it is considered that one was present as there was a distinct tracheal branch extending to the cuticle. The spiracles on segments V–VIII had moderate to strongly sclerotised openings, those on VIII the most sclerotised and distinct. It is therefore considered that spiracles are actually absent on the anterior three or four segments.

Figures

FIGURE 12. Male Neomargarodes erythrocephalus Green. Letters as for Fig. 6 except K = minute seta (as on scape); M = peg­like seta, as on legs; N = spur­like seta on ventral margin of tarsus, U = tip of apical antennal segment, and Z = fossorial prothoracic tibia + tarsus + claw.