Laminicoccus samoanus, Williams, D. J. & Martin, J. H., 2005

Williams, D. J. & Martin, J. H., 2005, (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae), Zootaxa 804, pp. 1-12 : 5-8

Laminicoccus samoanus sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Description

Body of adult female on microscope slide oval, widest at about abdominal segment I, 1.78–2.83 mm long, 0.95–1.00 mm wide, with segmentation distinct, lateral margins of segments strongly lobed. Anal lobes well­developed, each possessing a stout ventral apical seta 125–140 m long, and a ventral triangular sclerotized area. Antennae each 420­450 m long, with 8 segments; first segment with a notch or depression on inner edge near base. Legs well­developed; hind trochanter + femur 330–350 m long, hind tibia + tarsus 330–350 m long; claws each 25–30 m long, stout, and unusually short for size of legs, each claw with a pair of long stout digitules, each digitule widely knobbed. Tarsal digitules knobbed. Ratio of lengths of hind tibia + tarsus to hind trochanter + femur 0.97–1.00.

Ratio of lengths of hind tibia to tarsus 2.00–2.18. Translucent pores present on posterior surface of hind tibia only, few. Labium about 100 m long, shorter than clypeolabral shield. Circulus absent. Ostioles present, well­ developed, each lip bearing a few setae and trilocular pores, each posteriormost lip usually with 1 seta. Anal ring 65–80 m in diameter, bearing 6 setae, each 135–145 m long, and a double row of cells on anterior half of ring and a triple row on posterior half of ring, all located on a wide rim; anal opening conspicuously small for size of ring. Cerarii numbering 17 pairs. Anal­lobe cerarii each containing about 10 conical setae of different sizes, usually 1 or 2 larger than others, longest conical seta 30 m long and 10 m wide at base, also a few auxiliary setae and a cluster of trilocular pores, all situated on a well­defined sclerotized area about same size as anal ring. Anterior cerarii similar to anal­lobe cerarii but usually smaller, each usually with 4­7 conical setae and a few trilocular pores, all situated on a plate­like sclerotized area; auxiliary setae apparently absent but often a few long flagellate setae, many at least 100 m long, present around rim of each sclerotized area.

Dorsal surface of body with numerous thick flagellate setae, these absent from wide intersegmental areas, majority of setae each 20–60 m long, shortest setae often at anterior edges of segments; conical setae, each about 15 m long, present in small numbers across middle of many segments. Multilocular disc pores absent. Trilocular pores evenly distributed in areas occupied by setae. Discoidal pores not observed. Oral­rim tubular ducts, each about as long as wide, with narrow sclerotized rim narrower than a multilocular disc pore but wider than a trilocular pore, fairly numerous across anterior and posterior areas of thoracic segments and abdominal segments I–V; a few also on anterior edge of abdominal segment VI and on head.

Most setae on ventral surface of body more slender than those on dorsum. Multilocular disc pores, each about 7.5 m in diameter, few, present around vulva only. Trilocular pores evenly dispersed in setal areas. Discoidal pores not observed. Oral­rim tubular ducts, similar to those on dorsum, present in more or less wide double rows, mainly distributed across posterior areas of abdominal segments II–VII, almost reaching margins; absent from anal lobes; others present around margins of head and thorax and antero­lateral to clypeolabral shield.

Material examined

HOLOTYPE adult Ψ, Western Samoa, Upolu, Lake Lanoto’o, on Freycinetia sp. ( Pandanaceae ), 26.iv.1924 (P.A. Buxton & G.H. Hopkins) ( BMNH). PARATYPES, Western Samoa, same data as holotype, 13 adult ΨΨ (3 on same slide as holotype) ( BMNH).

Comments

Distinctive characters of this species are the large numbers of oral rim tubular ducts situated across the dorsal and ventral segments and the presence of numerous, fairly thick dorsal setae. Laminicoccus pandani also possesses oral­rim tubular ducts but on the dorsum of the abdomen they occur mainly around the margins, whereas in L. samoanus they are distributed across most of the abdominal segments. Furthermore, the multilocular disc pores in L. samoanus are few, present around the vulva only, but in L. pandani they occur across the medial areas of abdominal segments IV–VIII and occasionally on abdominal segment III.

Some excellent dry material of this species was found only recently in the collections of The Natural History Museum. Laing (1927) omitted this material when he discussed the scale insect fauna of Samoa although he must have known of its existence.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Laminicoccus samoanus sp. nov. Adult female.