Crypticerya bursera, Unruh, Corinne M., 2008

Unruh, Corinne M., 2008, A taxonomic review of the Crypticerya species (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Monophlebidae) of the southwestern United States and Mexico, including description of a new species from Baja California, Zootaxa 1759, pp. 1-42 : 11-12

Crypticerya bursera sp.n.

( Figs 3 , 4 )

Description of adult female (based on holotype and 4 paratypes).

In life. Females collected from stems deep within canopy of plant and appearing very round against substrate. Adult females dark purplish gray, completely devoid of wax on dorsal surface, and dorsal tubercles coloured slightly yellow-orange at tips. First-instar nymphs collected from marsupium of adult female.

Slide-mounted specimens. Body oval to elliptical, 4.9–6.9 mm long, 4.4–5.2 mm wide (holotype 6.6 mm long, 5.0 mm wide). Antennae ( Fig. 3 A) 11 segmented, 850–1140 µm long, apical segment 110–160 µm long, 55–65 µm wide; setae on segments up to 150 µm long. Eyes 120–150 µm wide. Clypeolabral shield 500–600 µm long, 300–600 µm wide. Labium 350–410 µm long, 300–320 µm wide. Hindlegs ( Fig. 3 H) 2235–2530 µm long, trochanter+femur 840–950 µm long, tibia+tarsus 1040–1180 µm long; setae on leg segments 40– 100 µm long; distal trochanteral setae 180–225 µm long; claw digitules acute. Mesothoracic spiracles each 250–285 µm long, atrium 150–180 µm wide; metathoracic spiracles each 295–350 µm long, atrium 210–245 µm wide; derm at atrial opening with 5–15 simple multilocular pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter with bilocular centre and 8–12 outer loculi. Marsupium present, shaped as for genus; marsupial band formed by hairlike and flagellate setae, 55–100 µm long, and multilocular pores ( Fig. 3 G), each 10–12 µm in diameter, with bilocular centre and 6–10 outer loculi; derm surrounding outside of marsupial band covered by dense straight hair-like setae ( Fig. 3 F) 75–120 µm long. Vulvar opening as for genus, surrounded by typical multilocular pores ( Fig. 3 J), each 14–16 µm in diameter, with trilocular centre and 8–12 outer loculi, and hair-like setae, 60–90 µm long. Cicatrices numbering 3; central cicatrix hourglass shaped 350–425 µm long, 225–310 µm wide; lateral cicatrices reniform, 275–305 µm long, 130–195 µm wide; one lateral cicatrix and central cicatrix of a paratype adult female connected to one another. Abdominal spiracles ( Fig. 3 K) with atrium 23–30 µm wide. Anal ring 130–150 µm wide; anal opening surrounded by hair-like setae, 50–200 µm long, and typical multilocular pores ( Fig. 3 L), each 12–13 µm in diameter, with bilocular centre and 8–12 outer loculi.

Dorsum. Robust, stout hair-like setae ( Fig. 3 O), 25–90 µm long, and flagellate setae ( Fig. 3 D), 25–35 µm long, very sparsely scattered across all body segments. Multilocular pores ( Fig. 3 G, N), each 12–13 µm in diameter, with bilocular centre and 8–10 outer loculi, scattered across all body segments. Elongate tubercles present in medial row and submarginal longitudinal row; each tubercle with several multilocular pores, similar to pores on derm, and several robust hair-like setae ( Fig. 3 M), 60–90 µm long.

Venter. Hair-like setae 50–150 µm long, scattered across all segments. Flagellate setae ( Fig. 3 D), 35–45 µm long, distributed as for genus. Simple multilocular pores ( Fig. 3 G), each 10–12 µm in diameter, with bilocular centre and 8–10 outer loculi, scattered on margin to submargin of head and thorax and across abdomen. Multilocular pores ( Fig. 3 B, C), each 10–12 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 3–8 outer loculi, appearing slightly bluish when stained, scattered medially to submedially on head and thorax; similar pores ( Fig. 3 I), each 12–13 µm in diameter, with bilocular centre and 6–10 outer loculi, scattered within marsupium. Elongate tubercles present in marginal longitudinal band; each tubercle with simple multilocular pores, similar to pores on derm, and robust hair-like setae on tips, 105–325 µm long.

Description of first-instar nymph (based on 5 paratypes)

Slide-mounted specimens. Body elliptical, 850–950 µm long, 440–550 µm wide. Antennae 340–390 µm long, apical segment 110–150 µm long, 35–45 µm wide; hair-like setae on apical segment up to 125 µm long. Eyes 50–60 µm wide. Clypeolabral shield 125–188 µm long, 150–200 µm wide. Labium 100–113 µm long, 125–175 µm wide. Hindlegs 498–610 µm long; distal trochanteral setae 88–110 µm long, claw digitules 30– 35 µm long. Thoracic spiracles each 58–75 µm long; atrium 28–38 µm wide. Cicatrix 38 µm in diameter. Abdominal spiracles ( Fig. 4 C) as for genus. Anal tube ( Fig. 4 D) 88–125 µm long, 23–30 µm wide at opening; multilocular pores absent from opening of anal tube; anal opening surrounded by robust hair-like setae, 45–58 µm long.

Dorsum. Shape and distribution of pores as for genus, except each abdominal segment lacking one submarginal pore and one medial pore. Distribution of setae as for genus, except hair-like setae absent, replaced by robust, stout, spine-like setae. Long, robust spine-like setae ( Fig. 4 F) 50–100 µm long, increasing in length towards abdominal apex; shorter, robust spine-like setae ( Fig.4 E) 12–20 µm long. Flagellate setae ( Fig. 4 G) 20–25 µm long, scattered across head and thorax, not present in submarginal cluster of setae as for other Crypticerya species. Multilocular pores ( Fig. 4 H), each 9–10 µm in diameter on head and thorax, each 8–9 µm in diameter on abdomen.

Venter. Pore shape and distribution as for genus. Hair-like setae ( Fig. 4 A) 35–95 µm long on most segments; a single pair of long hair-like setae 350–425 µm long at abdominal apex. Flagellate setae 18–23 µm long, distributed as for genus. Multilocular pores ( Fig. 4 B) each 5–6 µm in diameter on all body segments.

Type data. MEXICO, Baja California, Montevideo Canyon near Bahia de Los Angeles, ex Bursera microphylla, 31.xii.2004 (C.M. Unruh).

Type material. Holotype: ad Ψ, data as above (BME). Paratypes: 4 ad ΨΨ (ad Ψ missing two legs= CMU 121), dozens of first-instar nymphs (6 slides), data as above (BME).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the host plant from which the insects were collected and is a noun in apposition.

Taxonomic notes. This species was collected while the author was on a field trip with the UC Davis Botany Club during a very wet December in 2004. The group was “botanizing” around the Montevideo wall paintings campground located 15 km northeast of Bahia de Los Angeles. We climbed to the top of the cliff overhanging the wall paintings and a fellow U.C. Davis graduate student, Shelah Morita, discovered adult females of this species while examining a small elephant tree ( Bursera microphylla). The group crowded around the plant to get a good look at a scale insect and the author took photographs and collected several specimens.

First-instar nymphs were not visible on the stems of the plant, but were present in the marsupium of the adult female and were extracted during the slide-mounting process.

Diagnostic comparison. This species most closely resembles C. tuberculata and is here placed in the C. mexicana species group. The first-instar nymphal stage of C. bursera differs from all other known iceryine species by the presence of very stout robust setae on the margin and submarginal dorsum. The adult females of C. bursera and C. tuberculata can be separated by the size of the tubercles ( C. bursera has much larger tubercles), the density of short hair-like setae surrounding the marsupial band ( C. bursera has dense rows of setae outside the marsupial band), and the shape and distribution of the multilocular pores on the derm ( C. bursera has multilocular pores, each with a bilocular centre and 10–12 outer loculi, that do not seem to form any distinctive arrangement and do not form marginal clusters).

Figures

FIGURE 3. Crypticerya bursera sp. nov. adult Ψ. A. Antenna; B. Simple multilocular pore with bilocular centre and five outer loculi; C. Simple multilocular pore with trilocular centre and three outer loculi; D. Flagellate seta; E. Hair-like seta; F. Short hair-like setae outside of marsupial band; G. Simple multilocular pores with bilocular centre and ten outer loculi; H. Hindleg; I. Simple multilocular pore, similar to vulvar pore, with bilocular centre and seven outer loculi; J. Vulvar multilocular pore; K. Abdominal spiracle; L. Anal multilocular pore; M. Robust hair-like seta; N. Simple multilocular pore with bilocular centre and seven outer loculi; O. Short, robust hair-like seta.

FIGURE 4. Crypticerya bursera sp. nov. first-instar nymph. A. Hair-like seta; B. Simple multilocular pore with bilocular centre and four outer loculi; C. Abdominal spiracle; D. Anal tube; E. Short spiniform seta; F. Large spiniform seta; G. Flagellate seta; H. Simple multilocular pore with bilocular centre and seven outer loculi.