Poliaspis nitens Fuller

Hardy, Nate & Henderson, Rosa C., 2011, Revision of Poliaspis (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Diaspididae), with descriptions of 8 new species from Australia, ZooKeys 137, pp. 1-40 : 13-14

Poliaspis nitens Fuller Fig. 12

Poliaspis nitens Fuller, 1897: 5.

Material examined.

Dry material : WA. Guilford, ex Daviesia sp., Newman 1912, number 5, WWF 516, ASCT00006373, ASCT00006372; Kalamunda, ex Daviesia sp, Newman 1912, number 2, WWF 517 [corresponds to Froggatt’s collection number 516], ASCT00006371.

VIC. 2 adult females: Sandringham [-37.95, 145.00], ex Exocarpus cupressiformis , C French, IEE 1814; 2 adult females, same coll. data (misidentified as Poliaspis exocarpi ) (BMNH). WA. 2 adult females: 4 miles S of Pemberton [-27.47, 153.02], ex stem of Gastrolobium sp., 27.2.1964, SWB (QDPI). WA. 1 adult female mounted from the ASCT0000637 dry material.

VIC. 1 adult female: Dandenong Range [-37.97, 145.24], ex Exocarpus stricta , 2.7.1914, No. 178 G. Brittin Collection (NZAC).

Description, n=6.

Slide-mounted adult female 1026-1513 μm long, body outline fusiform-pyriform, thoracic and abdominal lobes not produced. Pygidium with 2 pairs of lobes; median lobes short and broad, connected medially by broad sclerosis, each lobe with rounded apex; margin between lobes not incised; second lobe bi-lobed, inner lobule with strong basal sclerosis. Gland spines 17-27 μm long, 2-5 × length of median lobes, 1 gland spine on margin of each pygidial segment; pair of setae between median lobes not observed. Dorsal ducts much smaller than marginal ducts; present in rows; 7 submedial duct present on segment 6; 6 submarginal and 7 submedial ducts on segment 5. Perivulvar pores: 1-4 posteromedial, 7-14 posterolateral, 12-26 posterior, 2-4 anteromedial, and 5-11 anterolateral. Trilocular pores in cluster of 2 near anterior spiracle; absent from posterior spiracle. Microducts scattered on head, posteromedial of anterior spiracle, anteromedial of posterior spiracle, and across abdomen. Antenna with 1 long, curved fleshy setae.

Comments.

Fuller (1897) described the median lobes of Poliaspis nitens as being very short and wide. That is unique among Poliaspis species and matches the material we have examined from ASCU, which was also collected from the same host and area. No setae were observed between the median lobes, but there appear to be a pair of empty setal sockets present and it is possible that the setae have broken off.

The adult female of Poliaspis nitens can be distinguished from other species of Poliaspis on the basis of the very short and broad median lobes. Three other species treated here have median lobes smaller than the second lobes: Poliaspis callitris , Poliaspis exocarpi and Poliaspis araucariae . In Poliaspis exocarpi and Poliaspis araucariae the body margin between median lobes is slightly incised, and in Poliaspis araucariae the median lobes are strongly divergent. In Poliaspis callitris the body margin is not clearly incised between the median lobes, but each medial lobe is longer than wide and has a pointed apex.