Laingaspis lanigera (Laing)

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 : 17-18

Laingaspis lanigera (Laing) Fig. 17

Poliaspis lanigera Laing, 1929: 20-21.

Laingaspis lanigera (Laing), Borchsenius and Williams 1963: 365.

Material examined.

Lectotypefemale here designated, adult female on slide labelled: Australia, NT, Darwin, on mangrove, GF Hill, BM 1916-225 [with “Type” label] (BMNH).

Paralectotypes: adult female on slide with same data as Lectotype, marked as Paratype [sic] (BMNH); 4 slides of females with same basic data but variously with "Port Darwin on Foreshore, IBE 647," "GF Hill no. 682, from type material, BM 1940 –180,” "IBE 151 / GE Hill 682" (BMNH); 6 poor quality single-specimen slide mounts of males, labelled "Australia, Port Darwin, GF Hill, 16.vi.1916, BM 1922 –155” - probably part of the type series even though rigistered years later.

Other material: QLD. 5 adult females: Jacky Jacky Creek [-10.94, 142.51], on leaves of Aegiceras corniculatum , 16.1.1998, J Grimshaw, B Waterhouse (QDPI); 5 adult females: New Mapoon [-10.87, 142.39], on stems of Acalypha milkeriana , 14.1.1998, J Grimshaw (QDPI).

Description.

Slide-mounted adult female 965-1126 μm long (Holotype 1026 μm long), body outline oval. Margin of pygidium rounded, serrate. Median lobes dinstinct, with pointed apices, rest of pygidial margin densely-packed with gland spines and sclerotic teeth, some of which may be homologous to lobes. Anus in anterior third of pygidium; opening round. Dorsomedial ducts on pygidium longer than marginal and submarginal ducts; present in 2 clusters near anus; ca. 5 ducts in anterior cluster and ca. 3 in posterior one. Trilocular pores in cluster of 2-3 around each anterior spiracle, absent near posterior spiracles. Antenna with 2 fleshy setae. Perivulvar pores quinquelocular, in 7-8 groups; 5 groups on abdominal segment 7, and 2 or 3 groups on abdominal segment 6; 0-4 posteromedial, 5-7 posterolateral, 11-15 posterior, 0-3 anteromedial, and 0-4 anterolateral. Dorsal ducts 1-barred; dense along margin and submargin of pygidial dorsum, plus a few in clusters near anus. Gland tubercles in marginal / submarginal clusters on thoracic and pre-pygidial abdominal segments.

Comments.

This species has the diagnostic distribution of perivulvar pores found among species of Poliaspis but differs in an important feature: namely, 1-barred ducts arranged in a dense marginal swath on the pygidial dorsum. 1-barred ducts and gland tubercles, which are also present in this species, is an unusual combination among armored scale insect species.