Ripersiella malschae (Williams)

Williams, D. J. & Hodgson, Chris J., 2013, Are some prepupae and pupae of male mealybugs and root mealybugs (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Pseudococcidae and Rhizoecidae) mobile?, ZooKeys 364, pp. 19-28 : 23-24

Ripersiella malschae (Williams)

Rhizoecus malschae Williams, 2004: 779.

Ripersiella malschae (Williams): Kozár and Konczné Benedicty 2007: 495.

Prepupa

(Fig. 3)

Material studied.

Paratype, Sabah, Kinabalu Park, Poring Hot Springs, with Pseudolasius , 28.iii.1998, A. Malsch (BMNH): 1/1 pharate prepupa (good, but distribution of pores and leg setae difficult to ascertain as pupa fairly-well developed).

Mounted material.

Small, body 508 μm long, 286 μm widest, oval but rather pointed posteriorly. Legs and antennae well developed; mouthparts and wing buds absent.

Dorsum membranous, segmentation obvious, particularly on abdomen. Each segment with a dense band of short setae, each 5-7 μm long on a convex basal socket; bands narrowest on posterior segments. With 3 pairs of long setae on posterior-most segments, each 23-30 μm long; incipient penial sheath with a group of about 18 setae, similar to those on rest of dorsum. With loculate pores, each about 6 μm wide with mainly 8 loculi, near margins of abdominal segments II–VI and also on metathorax.

Margin not demarcated; without wing buds.

Venter membranous. Small setae, similar to those covering most of dorsum, present anteriorly and laterally on head, in large broad groups laterally on pro- and mesothorax, and in small groups laterally on metathorax and abdominal segments II–VII; somewhat similar setae also present very sparsely medially across all segments except perhaps prothorax. Loculate pores similar to those on dorsum present submarginally on abdominal segments and sparsely medially on all thoracic segments and head.

Antennae 6 segmented, about 100 μm long; pedicel very short, about 10 μm long; all segments with a few setose setae; subapical segment with a fleshy seta and apical segment with 3 or 4 fleshy setae. Mouthparts absent. Spiracles each with peritreme 16-18 μm wide. Legs particularly well developed, lengths (metathoracic leg in μm): coxa about 50; trochanter + femur 88; tibia + tarsus 85; claw 21; each trochanter with 2 roundish campaniform pores on each side; each tibia with 2 tibial spurs on distal ventral margin but also with perhaps 2 more laterally; tarsi with a spur-like seta on ventral margin near proximal end; tarsal campaniform pores present but tarsal digitules considered to be absent; claw digitules present but minute; claws without a denticle. Anus apparently on ventral surface.

Comment.

The prepupa of Ripersiella malschae looks similar to the adult male ( Hodgson 2012) but lacks the well-developed penial sheath. In addition, the loculate pores on the prepupa clearly have mainly 8 loculi whereas they appeared to have 5 or fewer on the adult male.