Ovaticoccus neglectus (Cockerell) Miller & Stocks, 2022

Miller, Douglass R. & Stocks, Ian C., 2022, New genera and species of felt scales (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Eriococcidae), with descriptions of new species and immature instars of described species, Zootaxa 5221 (1), pp. 1-213 : 143-148

Ovaticoccus neglectus (Cockerell) comb. n.

Eriococcus neglectus Cockerell 1895: 8 .

Nidularia neglecta (Cockerell) ; Lindinger 1933a: 116 (change of combination).

Onceropyga neglecta (Cockerell) ; Ferris 1955: 209 (change of combination).

Oregmopyga neglecta (Cockerell) ; Hoy 1963: 179 (change of combination).

Material examined: not previously reported are as follows: UNITED STATES: Arizona: Apache Co.: 20 mi. N. St. Johns , IX-6-1968, on Atriplex sp. D . R. Miller and J.E. Lauck (1 ad. ♀ on 1 slide) UCD ; Cochise Co.: 10 mi W. Tombstone , III-17-1968, on Atriplex sp. , D.R. Miller and R.W. Rust (4 ad. ♀♀ on 2 slides) UCD . California: Kern Co.: 9 mi. E. Cuyama , VI-28-1966, on Atriplex sp. , D.R. Miller (4 ad. ♀♀ on 3 slides) UCD ; Piru , IX-25-1934, on Artemisia ?, E.T. Gammon (7 ad. ♀♀ on 2 slides) CDFA ; Quatal Canyon , V-25-1977, on Atriplex sp. , R. Hobza and R.J. Gill (7 ad. ♀♀, 3 second-instar ♀♀ on 5 slides) CDFA . New Mexico: San Juan Co.: 8 mi. N. Shiprock , IX-6- 1968, on Atriplex sp. , D.R. Miller and J.E. Lauck (1 ad. ♀ on 1 slide) UCD . Oregon: Lake Co.: 24 mi. E. Christmas Valley , VIII-8-1968, on Atriplex canescens, D.R. Miller and R.F. Denno (4 ad. ♀♀ on 3 slides) UCD .

Etymology: The species epithet “ neglectus ” is formed from the Latin word “ neglectus ” meaning “neglected” or “not chosen.” Cockerell (1895: 8) stated “Las Cruces, N. M., on stems of Atriplex canescens , looking very like the Phoradendron seeds so commonly seen on trees in this vicinity. The plants are thickly infested by them, but I had entirely overlooked them until recently, notwithstanding that I pass within a few feet of them on my way to and from College.”

The adult female was described in detail by Miller and McKenzie (1967); information concerning that instar is not repeated here. That paper also includes descriptions of the second-instar female (as “late instar”), first-instar nymph (as “early instar”), and second-instar male (as “probably third-instar”); we provide more detailed descriptions below.

Second-instar female ( Fig. 73 )

Description: Slide-mounted specimens 0.7–0.8 mm long, 0.4 mm wide. Body oval, with slightly protruding anal lobes. Anal-lobe areas dorsally each with 2 flagellate setae, 0 or 1 microtubular duct; ventrally each with 3 or 4 flagellate setae including suranal seta and anal-lobe seta.

Dorsum with flagellate setae arranged in 2 pairs of longitudinal lines (mediolateral and lateral), each line with 1 seta on each side of segment, sometimes flagellate setae replace medial enlarged setae. Enlarged setae in 3 pairs of longitudinal lines (medial, mediolateral and lateral), 1 or 2 replaced by flagellate setae or transitional setae; largest setae 8–10 μm long; enlarged setae nipple shaped, laterally with curved sides, with rounded apices; setal base moderate; in dermal pocket; with 10 setae on segment IV including 6 enlarged setae and 4 flagellate setae; segment IV with combined total of 9–11 enlarged setae dorsally and ventrally. Macrotubular ducts absent. Multilocular pores absent or uncommon on thorax and head, 5-locular pores only. Cruciform pores absent or present on thorax. Microtrichia absent, or weakly developed on segments VII and VIII.

Anal ring dorsal, circular, incomplete, divided posteriorly, non-cellular, with 0–3 small setae on each side of ring, each shorter than greatest diameter of ring; anal tube unsclerotized or weakly sclerotized; anal opening unsclerotized; without anal flap.

Venter with longest flagellate seta on segment II 20–25 μm long, on segment VII 21–23 μm long; anal-lobe seta 103–126 μm long. Enlarged setae in 1 pair of longitudinal lines (lateral), often slightly smaller than dorsal enlarged setae. Macrotubular ducts absent. Microtubular ducts uncommon laterally, usually near enlarged setae, each approximately 8 μm long, with area farthest from dermal orifice sclerotized and divided into 2 parts, apical portion smaller than remaining sclerotized portion; dermal orifice unsclerotized; without protruding tube; scattered over entire surface, associated with enlarged setae. Multilocular pores scattered over entire surface, arranged in rows of 5 or more on each abdominal segment, of 4 kinds: 5-locular pores most abundant, 6- and 7-locular pores less abundant, and 9-locular pores uncommon or absent. Cruciform pores absent. Legs with hind coxae each with 2–4 pores on dorsal surface; each femur with 3 setae, without proximal setae; each tibia with 4 setae, without middle seta. Antennae each 6-segmented, 98–100 μm long. Frontal lobes absent. Preantennal pore present. Microtrichia on head to segment VIII, and on ventral surface of mid- and hind- pairs of coxae.

Notes: This description is based on nine specimens from two localities.The second-instar female of Ov. neglectus is most similar to the second-instar female of Ov. variabilis in lacking dorsal and ventral cruciform pores, and in having ventral enlarged setae, and by having predominantly 5-locular pores. They differ as follows (character states in brackets are those of Ov. neglectus ): with ventral abdominal multilocular pores uncommon, arranged in mediolateral longitudinal lines, usually with one or two on each side of each abdominal segment (pores common, in rows of more than five on each segment); without microtubular ducts in dorsomedial areas of abdomen (with microtubular ducts scattered over dorsum).

Second-instar male ( Fig. 74 )

Description: Slide-mounted specimens 0.7–0.8 mm long, 0.4 mm wide. Body oval, with slightly protruding anal lobes. Anal-lobe areas dorsally each with 2 flagellate setae; ventrally each with 2 or 3 flagellate setae including suranal seta and anal-lobe seta, and 0 or 1 multilocular pore.

Dorsum with flagellate setae in segmental rows, arranged in3 or 4 pairs of longitudinal lines (medial, mediolateral, sublateral and lateral), often with more than 1 seta in each line particularly on anterior segments; dorsal setae shorter than those on venter. Enlarged setae variable, 1 specimen without enlarged setae, others with nearly as many as on second-instar female; when present, enlarged setae in 3 pairs of longitudinal lines (medial, mediolateral and lateral), medial and mediolateral setae on posterior abdominal segments often replaced by flagellate setae or transitional setae; largest setae 8–10 μm long; enlarged setae nipple shaped, laterally with curved sides, with rounded apices; setal base moderate; not in dermal pocket; segment IV with 8–10 flagellate setae and 0–3 enlarged setae; segment IV with combined total of 0–6 enlarged setae dorsally and ventrally. Microtubular ducts each approximately 6 μm long, with area farthest from dermal orifice sclerotized and divided into 2 parts, apical portion smaller than remaining sclerotized portion; dermal orifice unsclerotized; without protruding tube; scattered over entire surface, most abundant medially and laterally. Macrotubular ducts present over entire surface. Multilocular pores uncommon laterally on head and thorax, of 1 or 2 kinds: 7-locular pores uncommon, 5-locular pores most abundant. Cruciform pores absent. Microtrichia on segment VIII.

Anal ring ventral, semicircular, incomplete, non-cellular, with 2 or 3 setae, or setal bases, on each side of ring, each normally shorter than diameter of ring; without additional pair of setae with anal ring; anal tube unsclerotized, with dermal orifice sclerotized or weakly sclerotized, without anal flap.

Venter with flagellate setae on segment II 21–30 μm long, on segment VII 27–30 μm long; anal-lobe seta 90–110 μm long. Enlarged setae, when present, along body margin of abdomen, with 1 or 2 on thorax, often slightly smaller than dorsal enlarged setae. Macrotubular ducts on mediolateral and lateral areas of thorax and abdomen. Microtubular ducts present laterally. Multilocular pores scattered over entire surface, common, with more than 2 pores on each side of each segment, of 3–6 kinds: 5-locular pores most abundant; 7-locular pores common; 4-locular pores, 6-locular pores and 9-locular pores rare or absent. Cruciform pores absent. Legs with hind coxae without pores; each femur with 3 setae, without proximal seta; tibia each with 3 or 4 setae, without middle seta; hind tibia/ tarsus 0.8–0.9. Antennae each 7-segmented, 120–130 μm long. Frontal lobes absent. Preantennal pore present. Microtrichia from head to segment VIII, also on ventral surface of coxae.

Notes: The description is based on six specimens from one locality. The second-instar male of Ovaticoccus neglectus is most similar to the second-instar male of Ov. salviae in lacking dorsal cruciform pores, each femur with three setae, and by having a similarly shaped anal ring. They differ as follows (character states in brackets are those of Ov. neglectus ): 7-locular pores rare or absent (7-locular pores abundant, nearly as common as 5-locular pores); ventral multilocular pores uncommon on abdomen, most segments each with less than five pores (in rows of 10 or more pores on each segment); microtubular ducts rare or absent (microtubular ducts common on dorsum and lateral venter).

First-instar nymph ( Fig. 75 )

Description: Slide-mounted specimens 0.4–0.6 mm long, 0.2–0.3 mm wide. Body elongate oval, with slightly protruding anal lobes. Anal-lobe areas dorsally each with 2 flagellate setae, 0 or 1 microtubular ducts; ventrally each with 3 flagellate setae including anal-lobe seta.

Dorsum with flagellate setae arranged in 1 pair of longitudinal lines (medial), occasionally with 1 or 2 replaced by enlarged seta. Enlarged setae in 2 pairs of longitudinal lines on abdomen (mediolateral and lateral); largest setae about 6 μm long; enlarged setae nipple shaped, laterally with curved sides, with rounded apices; setal base thin; not in dermal pocket; with 6 setae on segment IV, including 4 enlarged setae and 2 flagellate setae; segment IV with combined total of 4 enlarged setae dorsally and ventrally. Macrotubular ducts absent. Microtubular ducts each approximately 5 μm long, with area farthest from dermal orifice sclerotized and divided into 2 parts, apical portion rounded or truncate depending on visual angle, smaller than remaining sclerotized portion; dermal orifice unsclerotized; in lateral and mediolateral areas of abdomen, less common on head and thorax. Multilocular pores absent. Cruciform pores absent. Microtrichia from mesothorax or segment II to segment VIII.

Anal ring dorsal, semicircular, horseshoe shaped, divided posteriorly, non-cellular, with 3 setae on each side of ring, each shorter than half of diameter of ring; without additional pairs of setae associated with anal ring; anal tube unsclerotized, anal opening sclerotized, without anal flap.

Venter with longest flagellate seta on segment II 9–13 μm long, on segment VII 12–13 μm long; anal-lobe seta 75–85 μm long. Enlarged setae absent. Macrotubular ducts and microtubular ducts absent. Multilocular pores present at base of antennae, near eye, between front leg and mouthparts, laterad of front legs, 1 associated with each spiracle, 1 mesad of each mid- and hind coxa, 1–4 forming mediolateral longitudinal line on anterior abdominal segments; of 3 kinds: 5-locular pores most abundant, 7-locular pores and 3-locular pores uncommon or absent. Cruciform pores absent. Legs without pores; each femur with 3 setae, without proximal setae; each tibia with 3 setae, without middle seta; hind tibia/tarsus 0.8–0.9. Antennae each 6-segmented, 93–100 μm long. Frontal lobes absent. Preantennal pore present. Microtrichia in medial area of mesothorax or metathorax to segment VIII, absent from coxae.

Notes: This description is based on five specimens from one locality. The first-instar nymph of Ov. neglectus is most similar to the first-instar nymph of Ov. salviae in having three setae on each femur, by lacking cruciform pores, and by having a similar distribution pattern of multilocular pores. They differ as follows (character states in brackets are of Ov. neglectus ): without enlarged setae (with two longitudinal lines of setae); anal ring setae more than half as long as the greatest diameter of the ring (less than half, sometimes represented by socket only).

Figures

FIGURE 73. Ovaticoccus neglectus (Cockerell 1895), second-instar female, Rough Rock, Apache Co., Arizona, USA,?, 1940, on Atriplex sp., G.F. Ferris. A=enlarged seta; C=7-locular pore; D=5-locular pore; F=microtubular duct (shown in two views); I=anal ring; N=flagellate seta; Q=dorsal surface of coxa.

FIGURE 74. Ovaticoccus neglectus (Cockerell 1895), second-instar male, Rough Rock, Apache Co., Arizona, USA,?, 1940, on Atriplex sp., G.F. Ferris. C=7-locular pore; D=5-locular pore; F=microtubular duct (shown in two views); G=macrotubular duct; I=anal ring; N=flagellate seta.

FIGURE 75. Ovaticoccus neglectus (Cockerell 1895), first-instar nymph, Rough Rock, Apache Co., Arizona, USA,?, 1940, on Atriplex sp., G.F. Ferris A=enlarged seta; B=slightly enlarged seta; C=7-locular pore; D=5-locular pore; F=microtubular duct (shown in two views); I=anal ring; N=flagellate seta.