Melzeria Green, 1930

Hodgson, Chris & Miller, Dug, 2010, A Review of the Eriococcid Genera (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) of South America 2459, Zootaxa 2459 (1), pp. 1-101 : 59

Melzeria Green

Melzeria Green 1930: 215–216 .

Type species: Melzeria horni Green 1930: 215–216 .

Generic diagnosis. Adult female ( Fig. 28 ). Adult female broadly oval; without protruding anal lobes. Dorsum. Dorsal setae all hairlike; without enlarged spinose setae. Macrotubular ducts of 3 sizes, all with a sclerotised dermal rim; larger ducts each with 1–3 setae on dermal rim; other ducts of medium and small size, without associated setae. Microtubular ducts small, very similar to smallest macrotubular ducts, each with 8-shaped dermal orifice, frequent throughout. Cruciform pores absent. Loculate pores each with 5 loculi, apparently restricted to submargin on thorax. Anal lobes only represented by a long seta. Margin. Undefined. Venter. Setae hairlike, infrequent. Macrotubular ducts, similar to medium and small types on dorsum; larger ducts mainly in a broad submarginal band, smaller ducts restricted to posterior abdomen. Microtubular ducts, similar to those on dorsum, mainly present submarginally. Small sclerotised areas, which may be ducts, present. Loculate pores, each mainly with 5 loculi, present submarginally and medially on abdomen. Cruciform pores absent. Anal ring simple but widening posteriorly, without pores but with 2 pairs of setae. Antennae 7 segmented. Presence of frontal lobes and antennal tubercles uncertain but probably absent. Labium 2 segmented; setal arrangement unclear. Metathoracic coxae, femur and tibia often with translucent pores. Vulva present between abdominal segments VII and VIII .

Host plant unknown.

Comment: Melzeria is a monotypic genus known only from Brazil. The familial placement of this genus was uncertain until the type species was restudied by Miller & Williams (1998). They concluded that Melzeria is clearly an eriococcid because of the presence of: (i) enlarged setae on first-instar nymphs; (ii) tibiae with reduced number of setae; (iii) translucent pores on hind legs of adult female; and (iv) microtubular ducts. It is separable from all other adult female South Amercian eriococcids in having the following combination of characters: (i) absence of spinose setae; (ii) some macrotubular ducts with setae associated with orifice; (iii) macrotubular ducts present on both dorsum and venter; (iv) absence of anal lobes; and (v) 7 segmented antennae ( Miller & Williams (1998) illustrate this species with 7 segmented antennae but state six in text). We have re-examined the specimens and all specimens have 7 segmented antennae. The relationship of Melzeria within the Eriococcidae , however, remains unclear.

Figures

FIGURE 28. Melzeria horni Green. Adult female, where A = dorsal seta; B = dorsal microtubular ducts; C = dorsal loculate pore; D, D1, D2 = dorsal macrotubular ducts; F = view of anal area; K = ventral microtubular duct; L = ventral loculate pore; N, N1 = ventral macrotubular ducts; U = cruciform pore; W = claw of metathoracic leg; X = femur and tibia of metathoracic leg, and Y = coxa of metathoracic leg (modified after Miller & Williams, 1998).