Poliapsis callitris Laing

Hardy, Nate & Henderson, Rosa C., 2011, Revision of Poliaspis (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Diaspididae), with descriptions of 8 new species from Australia, ZooKeys 137, pp. 1-40 : 6-7

Poliapsis callitris Laing comb. rev. Fig. 4

Poliaspis callitris Laing, 1929: 19-20.

Lineaspis callitris (Laing), change of combination, Borchsenius 1966: 103.

Material examined.

Lectotypefemale here designated, 1 of 8 specimens on slide labelled "Australia, VIC, Mallee, on Callitris sp., JE Dixon, no.11,1919, IBE 1385, EE Green det.?Chionaspis striata, Poliaspis callitris Laing sp. n."The Lectotype is the only un-distorted adult female on slide. (BMNH)

Paralectotypes: (i) the remaining 7 females on the lectotype slide; (ii) 2 adult females on second slide with same collection data and no BM number (BMNH).

Other Material: QLD. 3 adult females: Australia, QLD, Lake Broadwater Conservation park [-27.35, 151.1], on stems of Callitris sp., 19.11.1985, J Dona ldson (QDPI); 1 adult female: Southport [-27.97, 153.41], ex Callitris columellaris , 15.8.1953, A Brimblecombe (QDPI); 8 adult females: Southport [-27.97, 153.41], Cupressus macrocarpa , 10.1936, A Brimblecombe (QDPI).

Description, n=7.

Slide-mounted adult female 581-1188 μm long (holotype 945 μm long), body outline fusiform, without distinct thoracic and abdominal lobes. Pygidium with 2 pairs of lobes; median lobes zygotic, much smaller than medial lobule of second lobe, each lobe with pointed apex; margin between median lobes not incised; second lobe bi-lobed, lateral lobule minute in some specimens (including holotype), medial lobule with strong basal sclerosis. Gland spines 7-11 μm long, about same length as median lobes, 1 gland spine on margin of each of pygidial segments 6 and 7 (i.e. lateral of each lobe), gland spines absent from segment 5; pair of setae absent between median lobes. Dorsal ducts smaller than marginal ducts; present in rows; 2 submedial ducts present on segment 6; ca. 3 submarginal and ca. 4 submedial ducts on segment 5. Perivulvar pores: 2-5 posteromedial, 7-11 posterolateral, 5-13 posterior, 2 anteromedial, and 2-5 anterolateral. Trilocular pores in cluster of 9-15 near anterior spiracle; absent from posterior spiracle. Microducts scattered on dorsal surface of head, mesad of gland tubercles on abdomen. Antenna with 1 fleshy seta.

Comments.

Adult females of Poliaspis callitris can be distinguished from other species of Poliaspis on the basis of (1) setae between median lobes absent (also absent in Poliaspis araucariae and Poliaspis nitens ); and (2) the relatively large number of pores near anterior spiracle (9-15) and no pores near posterior spiracle (other species of Poliaspis having many pores near anterior spiracle have at least a few near posterior spiracle). It shares having only 1 small gland spine on the margin of abdominal segments 6 and 7 with Poliaspis ceraflora , but that species has non-zygotic median lobes.