Neotectococcus lenticularis Hempel, 1937

Hodgson, Chris & Miller, Dug, 2010, A Review of the Eriococcid Genera (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) of South America 2459, Zootaxa 2459 (1), pp. 1-101 : 63-64

Neotectococcus lenticularis Hempel

Neotectococcus lenticularis Hempel 1937: 5 , 19.

Adult female. No material of this species was seen during this study but the original collection details were: BRAZIL, São Paulo, Itatinga , on native shrub, 18.x.1935, collector? (Instituto Biologico de São Paulo). The following description taken from Hempel (1937) .

Unmounted material. Inducing a lens-like gall on leaves when viewed laterally. Gall is similar to pit of pit scales. Upper leaf surface with a concave pit, circular and about 3 mm in diameter. Gall on lower leaf surface, swollen and convex, with a small orifice in center. Gall lighter in colour than leaf.

Mounted material. Length 1.1 mm, width 0.9 mm. Body pear-shaped or cordiform, widest across meso- or metathorax, more pointed posteriorly.

Dorsum. Derm membranous, possibly sclerotised in medial and mediolateral area of thorax, covered with numerous small papillae, segmentation distinct. Dorsal setae of 2 kinds: (i) spinose setae concentrated in medial and mediolateral areas of thorax, straight or slightly curved, with acute apices, becoming smaller laterally, and (ii) setose setae, longer than spinose setae, present in transverse rows on abdomen and abundant elsewhere. Macro- and microtubular ducts apparently absent. Loculate pores present on posterior abdominal segments, and also possibly on thorax near spinose setae. Anal lobes absent. Anal ring without pores and setae.

Margin. Marginal setae hairlike, slightly longer than adjacent dorsal setae, with possibly 3 or 4 on each lateral margin of each abdominal segment. Eyes large and conspicuous, present on venter near body margin.

Venter. Derm membranous. Setae hairlike, longer than on dorsum; spinose setae absent. Macro- and microtubular ducts absent. Cruciform pores absent. Loculate pores present in lateral areas of meso- and metathorax, abundant on abdominal segments. With 10–20 pairs of interantennal setae; with a longer seta mesad to each coxa (about 80 µm long); without elongate setae medially on each abdominal segment.

Antenna 5–7 segmented, each about 190 µm long, located submedially on head; apparently without setae. Clypeolabral shield present; number of labial segments unknown. Spiracles: each peritreme surrounded by a broad sclerotised plate. Legs each well developed but apparently without setae; metathoracic legs: lengths (µm): coxa 195 wide; trochanter + femur 255; tibia 170, tarsus 42, claw 17; tarsal and claw digitules thin and difficult to see; each claw straight, with a denticle near apex. Vulva present between segments VI and VII.

Comment. Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain specimens of this species and base our description on Hempel (1937). For a comparison of the adult female of this genus with other South American eriococcids see the “Comment” section of the “Generic diagnosis” of Neotectococcus .