Cryptostigma gullanae Kondo, 2010

Kondo, Takumasa, 2010, Taxonomic revision of the myrmecophilous, meliponiphilous and rhizophilous soft scale genus Cryptostigma Ferris (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Coccidae) 2709, Zootaxa 2709, pp. 1-72 : 23-25

Cryptostigma gullanae Kondo , sp. nov.

( Fig. 8)

Material examined. Holotype. Adult ♀. ECUADOR: Provincia Napo, Jatun Sacha , 400 m asl, 1°04’S, 37°37’W, 3.viii.1991, coll. P.S. Ward (#11320), ex live branch of Sapium utile , tended by Pseudomyrmex viduus , 1 (2: 1 adult ♀ + 1 third-instar nymph), holotype clearly indicated on label ( USNM).

Adult female ( Fig. 8)

Unmounted material. Not available for study.

Mounted material. Body outline irregularly oval, constricted at stigmatic areas, 3.1 mm long, 2.3 mm wide (n=1).

Dorsum. Derm membranous, highly rugose; with 3 subcircular orbicular pores: 1 on head region, and 1 on each side between anterior and posterior stigmatic areas; each pore 225–275 µm wide. Dorsum with conspicuous apodemes evenly distributed on dorsum; most conspicuous in submarginal areas. Dorsal setae absent. Cribriform platelets each 5–10 µm wide, with 3–6 pores, either square, hexagonal, triangular or irregular in shape. Simple pores each 6–8 µm wide, thick, sunken, scattered evenly on dorsum. Dorsal microducts each about 3–4 µm wide, with a simple opening, thick rimmed, sunken, evenly distributed on dorsum. Preopercular pores absent. Sclerotic crescent present around anal plates. Anal plates together quadrate, with rounded angles, each plate 205–220 µm long, 75–88 µm wide, anterolateral margin 148–150 µm long, posterolateral margin 105–108 µm long; with 10 or 11 setae on dorsal surface; plates located about 1/5 of body length from posterior margin. Anal ring with 6 setae. Eyes absent.

Margin. Body margin papillate. Marginal setae sharply spinose, each 15–20 µm long, with well-developed bases, arranged in a single irregular row, numerous, with about 50–60 between anterior and posterior stigmatic areas. Stigmatic clefts very deep, stigmatic sclerotization well-developed, extending from margin onto area dorsad to spiracles. Stigmatic setae similar to marginal setae, with 3 per cleft, subequal in length, each 13–18 µm long, often broken off.

Venter. Derm membranous. Ventral setae slender, straight or slightly bent, each 15–35 µm long, abundant on abdominal segments and toward margin, longest anterior to vulva. Ventral microducts each 3–4 µm wide, scattered evenly on venter. Tubular ducts absent. Clypeolabral shield 203 µm wide. Multilocular disc-pores each 4–6 µm wide with 6–8 (mostly with 5 and 6) loculi, sunken; present around vulva and on last abdominal segments, becoming progressively fewer on anterior segments; pores absent medially and only present near the areas of mediolateral lobes on segments V and IV. Spiracular disc-pores each 6–7 µm wide, with 4–7 (mostly with 5 & 6) loculi, sunken, numerous, found laterad to each spiracular peritreme and incorporated into stigmatic sclerotization. Antennae reduced, each with 1 or 2 antennal segments, fleshy setae normal, total length 58–68 µm. Legs reduced, atrophied, but claws well developed; with most segments fused, total length 38–50 µm. Claw and tarsal digitules knobbed. Claw with or without a denticle. Spiracles larger than legs; each anterior spiracular peritreme 175–180 µm wide, each posterior peritreme 170–190 µm wide.

Diagnosis. The adult female of C. gullanae can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters: (i) dorsal setae absent, (ii) dorsum with 3 orbicular pores, (iii) cribriform platelets present, (iv) apodemes conspicuous on dorsal derm, (v) dorsal surface of anal plates with 10 or 11 setae, (vi) preopercular pores absent, (vii) margin papillate, (viii) with 3 stigmatic setae in each cleft, but often broken off, (ix) multilocular disc-pores present around vulva and medially on last abdominal segments, but becoming progressively fewer on anterior abdominal segments, and sparsely scattered submarginally on abdomen, and (x) anal ring with 6 setae.

Remarks. First-instar nymphs were not available during present study.

Host plants. Euphorbiaceae : Sapium utile .

Associated Hymenoptera . Formicidae : Pseudomyrmecinae : Pseudomyrmex viduus .

Males. Unknown.

Etymology. The species is name after Dr. Penelope J. Gullan who prepared the slide-mounts. Dr. Gullan is an eminent scale insect taxonomist and expert in the study of ant-coccoid interactions.

Distribution. Neotropical Region: Ecuador.