Opisthoscelis beardsleyi Hardy & Gullan

Hardy, Nate B. & Gullan, Penny J., 2010, Australian gall-inducing scale insects on Eucalyptus: revision of Opisthoscelis Schrader (Coccoidea, Eriococcidae) and descriptions of a new genus and nine new species, ZooKeys 58, pp. 1-74 : 6-8

Opisthoscelis beardsleyi Hardy & Gullan sp. n. Figs 1a,b,c4

Gall

(Fig. 1a,b,c). Female. On leaf. Gall opening circular, 0.3-0.4 mm wide, blocked by white wax and/or part of sclerotised posterior dorsum of female. Gall variable, usually 3-5 mm in diameter, side with opening subconical (Fig. 1a) or hemispherically rounded (Fig. 1b), with truncate apex, typically on adaxial surface; leaf glands enlarged.

Male. On leaf. Similar to gall of female but smaller and more cylindrical, 2-3 mm high, basal diameter 1.5-2.0 mm, with circular opening and truncate apex ca 1 mm across (Fig. 1c), usually on adaxial leaf surface.

Adult female

(Fig. 3) (n = 47). Body outline circular, length 1.4-3.3 mm, greatest width 1.2-2.8 mm, abdomen not tapered, anal opening ventral, vulva as far cephalad as distal end of hind coxa. Eyes set well away from margin, each 20-60 µm wide. Antennal segmentation indistinct; each antenna 63-120 mm long. Frontal lobes each 110-330 µm long, 83-350 µm wide. Tentorial box 153-590 mm long; labium 73-125 mm long, 65-128 mm wide; pump chamber 17-22 µm long, 20-23 µm wide. Spiracles 63-170 mm long, 35-90 mm wide across atrium. Fore and mid legs small stumps, some segmentation apparent, 68-190 µm long; hind leg with coxa 200-440 µm long, trochanter + femur 260-510 µm long, tibia slightly curved, outer margin concave, 250-410 µm long, tarsus 70-180 µm long; claw and digitules present but reduced; translucent pores dense on both surfaces of hind tarsus, tibia and distal portion of femur; tibia-femur articulation functional. Anal opening 23-55 µm wide; anal ring 48-110 µm wide, bearing 10-16 setae, most anal ring setae with 1 or 2 pores near base; anal ring set within membranous invagination; area between anal ring and dorsal shield sclerotised in some specimens.

Dorsum. Dorsal shield much smaller than venter in old specimens, of variably sclerotic cuticle 1.1-2.0 mm long, 1.0-2.7 mm wide, clearly delineated by marginal fringe of close-set spinose setae, each seta 25-70 µm long. A pair of fleshy caudal projections on each side of body; each medial projection with ca 4 spinose setae, each lateral projection (probably marginal lobe of abdominal segment VII) with usually 3 spinose setae. Dorsal setae mostly small and robust, 8-23 mm long, scattered over dorsum, a few large spinose setae similar to those in marginal fringe sometimes occur along submargin. Macrotubular ducts occurring in clusters of 1-25 ducts set within heavily sclerotic cribriform plate; shaft of each duct short, <5 µm long; number of cribriform plates on dorsum varying from ca 10 to ca 40 on each side of body. Microtubular ducts absent. Quinquelocular pores absent.

Venter. Oral lobes membranous. Setae 8-100 mm long, in transverse row or band across each abdominal segment, metathorax, and mesothorax, along margin of head, pro- and mesothorax; setae dense posterodorsal of anal ring. Macrotubular ducts absent. Quinquelocular pores 5-6 µm in diameter, in clusters around each spiracle and along margin of thorax and anterior abdominal segments.

Material examined.

Holotype of Opisthoscelis beardsleyi (here designated): AUSTRALIA: Victoria: 1 adult female (2.3 mm long, 2.2 mm wide): ex gall, Eucalyptus goniocalyx , Tallangatta, Mt Granya, 26 May, 1976, PJG (ANIC).

Paratypes: AUSTRALIA: Victoria: 13 adult females: same data as holotype (11 in ANIC, 1 in BMNH, 1 in USNM).

Additional material:

AUSTRALIA: New South Wales: 4 adult females: ex leaf galls, Eucalyptus sp., Coolangubra State Forest, Wog Wog site, 13 Mar., 1993, PJG (ANIC); 5 adult females: ex leaf galls, Eucalyptus nortonii , Old Tuggeranong Railway Station, -35.43°; 149.15°, 13 June, 1993, LGC (ANIC); 1 adult female: ex leaf gall, Eucalyptus sp., Tallong cemetery, -34.72°; 150.08°, 16 Oct., 1993, PJG (ANIC). Victoria: 3 adult females: ex leaf galls, Eucalyptus goniocalyx , Belgrave South, ca 0.5 km NNE of roundabout at Temple Road, on Belgrave–Hallam Road, -37.93°; 145.36°, 8 Feb., 2005, PJG and NBH, NH53, NH77 (ANIC, NMV); 12 adult females, 3 second-instar females: ex leaf galls, Eucalyptus viminalis , Cranbourne Botanic Gardens Annexe, 19 Oct., 1976, PJG (ANIC); 2 adult females: ex leaf galls, Eucalyptus viminalis , Cranbourne, Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, Possum Gully Track, -38.13°; 145.28°, 9 Feb., 2005, PJG, NH33 (ANIC); 3 adult females: ex leaf galls, Eucalyptus goniocalyx , Dandenong, Doongalla Estate, The Basin, 8 May, 1977, PJG (ANIC); 6 adult females: ex leaf galls, Eucalyptus aromaphloia , Grampians Nat. Park, Victoria Valley, Glenelg River Road, W of Moora Moora Reservoir, -37.23°; 142.41°, 6 Feb., 2005, PJG and NBH, NH30 (ANIC, NMV); 7 adult females: ex galls, Eucalyptus aromaphloia , Grampians, Victoria Valley, 3.5 km N along Henham Track from Serra Road intersection, 18 Nov., 1976, PJG (ANIC); 19 adult females, 4 adult males: ex galls on leaves, Eucalyptus ovata , Lysterfield, Wellington Road, c. 0.5 km E of intersection with Lysterfield Road, 6 Feb., 1977, PJG (ANIC); 5 adult females: ex galls, Eucalyptus ovata , Lysterfield, Wellington Road, ca 0.5 km E of intersection with Lysterfield Road, 16 Feb,. 1979, PJG (ANIC); 2 adult females: ex leaf galls, Eucalyptus ovata , Lysterfield, Wellington Road, ca 1.9 km WNW of Belgrave–Hallam Road, -37.95°; 145.33°, 8 Feb., 2005, PJG and NBH, NH32 (ANIC); 10 adult females: ex leaf galls, Eucalyptus cephalocarpa , Macclesfield, Kirkpatrick’s Road, 17 Oct., 1977, PJG (ANIC); 1 adult female: ex leaf gall, Eucalyptus?goniocalyx , Melbourne, North Warrandyte, corner of Overbank Road and Glynns Road, -37.73°; 145.20°, 14 Feb,. 2005, PJG and NBH, NH49 (ANIC); 1 adult female: ex leaf gall, Eucalyptus cypellocarpa , near Apollo Bay, Beacon Hill, ca 3 km N of Great Ocean Road, on Skenes Creek Road, -38.72°; 143.71°, 11 Feb., 2005, PJG and NBH, NH51 (ANIC); 1 adult female: ex leaf gall, Eucalyptus?goniocalyx , NW of Bunyip, Jefferson Road off Princes Freeway, S side, -38.08°; 145.69°, 13 Feb., 2005, PJG and NBH, NH50 (ANIC).

Comments.

The adult female of Opisthoscelis beardsleyi is most similar to that of Opisthoscelis subrotunda in that both species have dorsal cribriform plates, a marginal fringe of spinose setae, and ≥ 2 spinose setae mounted on each caudal fleshy projection or lobe (these projections poorly developed in some populations of Opisthoscelis beardsleyi ). Adult females of Opisthoscelis subrotunda can be recognised by having the dorsal derm densely beset with minute papillae (found in some species of Tanyscelis but no other Opisthoscelis species) and large, spinose dorsal setae (dorsal setae minute in Tanyscelis , or bristle-like in other species of Opisthoscelis ).

Galls of adult females of Opisthoscelis beardsleyi may be conical (Fig. 1a) or rounded with either a truncate (Fig. 1b) or convex apex. Adult females vary in the number of cribriform plates and enlarged setae on the dorsal submargin as well as the extent to which the caudal projections are developed. It is possible that the material we have listed under the name Opisthoscelis beardsleyi constitutes multiple species, but we have not been able to detect any clear patterns in morphological variation over geography or host use. Therefore, we have restricted the type material to a single collection. Specimens of Opisthoscelis beardsleyi have been collected only from southeastern Australia, from eucalypt species in the Symphyomyrtus section Maidenaria .

Etymology.

This species is named in honour of the late Dr. Jack Beardsley, who was an expert on the systematics of parasitic wasps and scale insects. He spent most of his entomological career at the University of Hawaii, but began studies on Australian gall-inducing eriococcids during a research sabbatical spent in Victoria in 1971-1972. He was interested especially in pit-inducing and cryptic bark-living eriococcids and amassed a substantial collection from Victoria, including some specimens of Opisthoscelis and Tanyscelis .