Macracanthopyga Lizer y Trelles, 1955

Hodgson, Chris & Miller, Dug, 2010, A Review of the Eriococcid Genera (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) of South America 2459, Zootaxa 2459 (1), pp. 1-101 : 54-57

Macracanthopyga Lizer y Trelles

Macracanthopyga Lizer y Trelles, 1955: 37 .

Type species: Macracanthopyga verganiana Lizer y Trelles, 1955: 37–38 .

Generic diagnosis. Adult female ( Fig. 27 ). Forms a hard wax cover that is firmly attached to the branch of the host plant. Body rounded anteriorly, bluntly pointed posteriorly; abdomen rather short, posterior 6 abdominal segments all covered dorsally with long spinose setae. Dorsum. Derm mostly membranous, segmentation only clear in abdominal region. Setae of 3 types: (i) short, fine setose setae, very sparse; (ii) cupolate-shaped spinose setae; distribution rather variable; and (iii) stout, strong, elongate spinose setae, each with a very strongly sclerotised basal socket, present on posterior 6 or 7 abdominal segments. Macrotubular ducts absent. Microtubular ducts most abundant across anterior abdominal segments and meso- and metathorax. Loculate pores absent. Anal lobes strongly sclerotised, with spinose setae. Median plate apparently absent. Anal ring perhaps with 3 pairs of setae. Margin. Not demarcated anterior to abdomen, where lateral spinose setae present. Venter. Derm nodulose laterally on abdominal segments V – VII, otherwise membranous. Setae of 3 types present: (i) setose setae, sparse; (ii) cupolate-shaped setae, similar to those on the dorsum, present laterally on abdominal segment I and metathorax; and (iii) a pair of long, finely spinose setae anterior to anal ring. Macro- and microtubular ducts absent. Loculate pores with mainly 5 loculi: present in broad groups laterad to each spiracle and in loose groups on either side of abdominal segments II – IV. Cruciform pores absent. Anal lobes strongly sclerotised ventrally. Suranal setae spinose. Antennae 1 segmented. Frontal lobes and antennal tubercles absent. Clypeolabral shield proportionately quite large; labium apparently 1 segmented. Spiracles each with a very large roundly-oval, sclerotised muscle plate. Legs entirely absent. With a large, oval concavity along margin between metathorax and abdominal segment II, approximately in position of metacoxa. Vulva not detected .

Known only from Myrtaceae .

Comment: Macracanthopyga is a monotypic genus, known only from Argentina. It has been thought to induce enclosed galls ( Ferris, 1957; Beardlsey, 1984) but Gullan et al. (2005) indicate that the original text states that it is covered by a hard wax test on the branch of its host plant.

The adult females of Macracanthopyga are easily separated from all other South American adult female eriococcids by the presence of the very long spinose setae on the dorsum of the abdomen. They also have: (i) no legs; (ii) reduced antennae; (iii) well-developed anal lobes, each with very long spinose setae; (iv) sunken, spinnarette-shaped spinose setae; and (v) microtubular ducts restricted to the dorsum.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Macracanthopyga verganiana Lizer y Trelles. Adult female; where B = dorsal microduct; L = ventral loculate pore; R = marginal spinose seta; S = nodulose derm on abdominal margin; V = antenna; X = setae on anal plates, and Z = view of specimen with more frequent cupolate-shaped (minaret) setae and dorsal microtubular ducts.