Cryptostigma serratum 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 : 56-58

Cryptostigma serratum Kondo , sp. nov.

( Figs 1I & 23)

Material examined. Holotype. Adult ♀. ECUADOR: Santo Domingo, 5.vi.1953, coll. H.R. Yutscolv, 53.1672 (No.155), ex cedrus tree, 1 (2 adult ♀: holotype clearly indicated on slide) ( USNM) . Paratypes. COSTA RICA: Puntarenas, Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio (9°23’S, 84°09’W), <40 m. asl, 27 & 28.vii.1985, coll. J. Longino (#627) 2 (2) ( USNM) ; PANAMA: Armuelles Prov. , Chiriqui, 1938, collector not given, Ferris No. 196, ex undetermined tree, 1 (1) Paratype ( BME) .

Adult female ( Figs 1I & 23)

Unmounted material. Not available during present study.

Mounted material. Body outline oval to elongate oval, 3.5–7.2 mm long, 3.0–6.0 mm wide (n=5).

Dorsum. Derm membranous. Dorsal body setae each 6–25 µm long and sharply or bluntly spinose, with a straight or bent apex; present evenly on dorsum. Simple pores circular to subcircular, each 4–5 µm wide, scarce, scattered on dorsum. Dorsal microducts each 4–5 µm wide, abundant, evenly scattered over dorsum. Preopercular pores each 8–13 µm wide, tubercle-like, present on mid-areas of thorax and abdomen, with a few present submarginally; very few on head region and absent from margin of body. Thick sclerotized crescent present around anal plates. Anal plates together quadrate, with rounded angles, each plate 194–205 µm long, 81–92 µm wide; with 4–8 setae on dorsal surface, plus about 3 ventral subapical setae on each plate; plates located about 1/5 of body length from posterior margin. Anal ring with 14–20 setae. Eyes absent.

Margin. Margin smooth. Marginal setae present, sharply spinose, each 9–16 µm long, arranged in 1 row, numerous, with about 30–60 between each anterior and posterior stigmatic areas. Stigmatic clefts very deep; each stigmatic sclerotization well developed, with margins dentate, characteristically chainsaw-like in appearance, with a compound orbicular pore consisting of a thin membranous circular area bearing numerous setae. Stigmatic setae not detected.

Venter. Derm membranous. Ventral setae each mostly 21–50 µm long and slender, straight or slightly bent, those around body margin shortest, 6–30 µm long. Ventral microducts each 3–4 µm wide, scattered evenly on venter. Tubular ducts absent. Clypeolabral shield 431–593 µm wide. Multilocular disc-pores each 6–8 µm wide, larger than spiracular disc-pores, with 4–8 (mostly 7) loculi, present on perivulvar area. Spiracular discpores each 4–6 µm wide, with 5–8 (mostly 8) loculi, present on small area around spiracles. Antennae reduced, 1–4 segmented, total length 36–75 µm long, with some fleshy setae often bifurcated. Interantennal setae 2 pairs. Legs greatly reduced, all segments fused, composed mostly of a claw, total length 15–81 µm. Spiracles much larger than legs, located near margin just below stigmatic sclerotizations; each anterior peritreme 143–170 µm wide, each posterior peritreme 156–195 µm wide.

Diagnosis. The adult female of C. serratum can be diagnosed by the following features: (i) sclerotic pores absent, (ii) dorsal setae sharply or bluntly spinose, (iii) preopercular pores present, tubercle-like, (iv) each anal plate with 4–8 setae on dorsal surface, (v) marginal setae numerous, with 30–60 between each anterior and posterior stigmatic areas, (vi) stigmatic sclerotization with a dentate margin, (vii) legs vestigial but with a well-developed claw, (viii) anal ring with 14 or 20 setae, and (xii) ventral tubular ducts absent. C. serratum is the only known species in the genus with an anal ring with 14 to 20 setae; dentate stigmatic sclerotizations, and it is also the only species with orbicular pores incorporated into the stigmatic sclerotizations.

Remarks. Adult female Cryptostigma serratum is unique in having an anal ring with 14 to 20 setae. Other species in the Myzolecaniinae that have numerous setae in the anal ring (i.e., 14 or more) include Aztecalecanium colimae (Cockerell) (14), Alecanopsis spp. (16–32), Cribrolecanium formicarum Green (16), Cribrolecanium radicicola Green (18), Halococcus formicarii Takahashi (22–32), Myzolecanium casuarinae (Maskell) (formerly included in Alecanopsis ) (14), M. robertsi (Williams & Watson) (16) and Toumeyella erythrinae Kondo & Williams (12–14) (Kondo 2003, Kondo & Williams 2003, 2004).

First-instar nymphs were not available during present study.

Host plants. A plant referred to as “cedrus tree”. In the literal sense, Cedrus refers to a genus in the plant family Pinaceae , however, the name probably refers to a different group of tropical tree.

Associated Hymenoptera . Myrmicinae: Crematogaster stolli .

Etymology. The specific epithet “ serratum ” refers to the serrated outer margins of the spiracular sclerotization.

Males. Unknown.

Distribution. Neotropical Region: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama.