Acropygorthezia LaPolla & Miller, 2008

Lapolla, John S., Burwell, Chris, Brady, Seán G. & Miller, Douglass R., 2008, A new ortheziid (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) from Australia associated with Acropyga myops Forel (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and a key to Australian Ortheziidae, Zootaxa 1946, pp. 55-68 : 57

Acropygorthezia LaPolla & Miller , n. gen.

Type species: Acropygorthezia williamsi LaPolla & Miller

Generic Diagnosis: Adult female, and third-, second-, and first-instar nymphs. Wax plates and ovisac band absent; mesosternal and metasternal apophyses large and simple [not bifurcate]; antennae reduced in size; eyes absent; trochanter and femur fused; 2 pairs of sensoria on trochanter; tibial sensoria absent; tibia and tarsus fused; abdominal spiracles dorsal; without setae or pores in anal ring; anal ring located dorsally in middle of abdomen; labium 3-segmented; dome-shaped setae present on body; quadrilocular pores few.

Prepupa. As above, except labium reduced or absent, genital area ventral and represented by sclerotized protrusion near abdominal apex; anal ring well developed but without pores and setae.

Pupa. As for adult female, except labium reduced or absent, genital area ventral and represented by sclerotized penial sheath and with a ventromedial lobe protruding slightly from abdominal apex; anal ring well developed.

Adult male. As for adult female, except labium reduced or absent, genital area ventral and represented by sclerotized penial sheath and elongate coiled aedeagus, penial sheath hinged near apex of abdomen; anal ring well developed.

Comments: The unusual morphology of this genus makes it is difficult to discuss possible similarities with other ortheziids. Characters in this species that are unlike any found in other ortheziids include: the struc- ture and position of the anal opening; the size and shape of the antennae; the structure of the mesosternal and metasternal apopyhyses; the lack of both wax plates and an ovisac band, and the occurrence of only 2 sensoria on each surface of the trochanter. The adult male is unique by having the aedeagus situated ventrally and oriented anteriorly, with a hinge structure near the apex of the abdomen. Characters that might be useful in discovering affinities between Acropygorthezia and other genera include: the number of abdominal spiracles; the position of the abdominal spiracles, and the fusion of the tibia and tarsus. Genera that contain species with a fused tibia and tarsus include Newsteadia , Matileortheziola Kozár and Foldi , Mixorthezia Morrison , Nipponorthezia Kuwana , and Ortheziola Šulc. Genera that contain species with dorsal abdominal spiracles include Arctorthezia Cockerell , Graminorthezia Kozár , Insignorthezia Kozár , Matileortheziola , Orthezia Bosc d’Antic , and Praelongorthezia Kozár. Genera that have species with 7 pairs of abdominal spiracles include Arctorthezia , Graminorthezia , Insignorthezia , and Praelongorthezia .