Kilifia deltoides De Lotto, 1965

Joshi, Sunil, Gupta, Ankita, Shashank, P. R., Pai, Sachin G., Mohan, M., Rachana, R. R., Dubey, Vinod Kumar, Sandeep, Angalakuditi & Deepthy, K. B., 2022, Recent adventive soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) and mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) in India, Zootaxa 5194 (2), pp. 213-232 : 219

Kilifia deltoides De Lotto

Kilifia deltoides De Lotto 1965: 208 ; Ben Dov 1979: 319.

Material examined: INDIA, Karnataka, Ponnampet, College of Forestry, N 12.1490°, E 75.9405°, on Psydrax dicoccos Gaertn. (Rubiaceae) , 13.x.2020, Angalakuditi Sandeep and Vinodkumar Dubey coll., 10 ♀♀.

Appearance in life ( Fig. 1b ): Adult female pale green, marginal and submarginal areas completely transparent, medial area opaque yellow, flat, anterior pointed, broadly rounded behind, broadest near anal plates; eyes black, prominent; anal plates yellowish brown; anal cleft and stigmatic clefts conspicuous, whitish yellow.

Diagnosis of slide-mounted adult female (n=10): Body usually pyriform in outline ( Fig.3q ), often asymmetrical; stigmatic clefts shallow; anal cleft deep, about 1/4 th body length. Marginal setae strongly spinose, with a broadly branched apex ( Fig. 3a ) and a broad basal socket. Stigmatic clefts shallow, each containing 3 setae, all blunt; median seta slightly curved, with basal socket similar to a marginal seta, lateral setae very short and straight ( Fig. 3b ) with a narrow basal socket. Anal cleft with sides adpressed but not fused. Dorsal setae each clavate ( Fig. 3c ) with a broad basal socket, arranged in a polygonal pattern.

Dorsum: Pores oval, rimmed with a slit-like opening ( Fig. 3d ). Preopercular pores each small and flat, circular to oval, with a granulate surface ( Fig. 3e ), present in an elongate group anterior to anal plates, each pore associated with a pale areolation. Tubular ducts absent. Submarginal tubercles each convex and simple, present in a submarginal row ( Fig. 3f ). Anal plates together kite shaped ( Fig. 3g ) with anterolateral margin around 1.6 times longer than posterolateral margin. Dorsal surface of anal plates with 3 or 4 small apical or subapical setae ( Fig. 3h ).

Venter: Ano-genital fold with 2 pairs of setae along anterior margin ( Fig. 3i ) and 3 pairs of short setae laterally ( Fig. 3j ). Multilocular pores mostly each with 5, 6 or 7 loculi ( Fig. 3k ), present in small groups on either side and around anterior margin of genital opening. Spiracular disc pores each with 5 loculi ( Fig. 3l ). Legs distinctive; meso-and metathoracic leg coxae enlarged, each with an anterolateral cavity ( Fig. 3m ); claw digitules both broad and noticeably shorter than tarsal digitules ( Fig. 3n ). Antennae each with 6 segments ( Fig. 3o ). Labium surrounded by a group of ventral microducts on area around labium ( Fig. 3p ).

Comparison: Ben-Dov (1979) provided a detailed description and illustration of K. deltoides . His description states that the species possesses 30–36 preopercular pores, whereas the specimens examined in this study possessed 15–26 preopercular pores. Similarly, the illustration by Ben-Dov indicates the presence of 5 dorsal submarginal tubercles on each side (though not mentioned in the description), but the specimens examined by us had 8 or 9 dorsal submarginal tubercles on each side (total 17 or 18). Previous to this study, only K. acuminata (Signoret) had been reported from India ( Joshi & Rameshkumar 2017). Kilifia acuminata can be easily separated from K. deltoides by the presence of (characters of K. deltoides given in the parentheses) (i) Legs without any tibio-tarsal spurs (each middle and hind leg with a membranous tibio-tarsal spur), (ii) the pore rim about half as wide as the socket of a dorsal seta (equal to diameter of socket).

Ecological notes: Kilifia deltoides has so far been recorded on species belonging to five plant families: Anacardiaceae , Lauraceae , Myrtaceae , Pteridaceae and Theaceae . In this study it was found for the first time on Rubiaceae , on P. dicoccos . This is an evergreen tree classified as “Vulnerable” in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ( IUCN 2021), so our record of K. deltoides in India should be considered important as a possible threat to this endangered plant.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Live appearance of: a. Maacoccus piperis (Green); b. Kilifia deltoides De Lotto; c. Paralecanium machili Takahashi; d. Fistulococcus pokfulamensis Hodgson & Martin; e. Antonina thaiensis Takahashi; f. Formicococcus simplicior (Green).

FIGURE 3. Kilifia deltoides De Lotto, diagnostic characters of slide mounted adult female. a. Marginal setae; b. Spiracular setae; c. Dorsal setae and dark-rimmed pores; d. Close up of dark-rimmed pore showing slit-like opening; e. Preopercular pores; f. Submarginal tubercle; g. Anal plate with longer anterolateral margin; h. Setae on dorsal surface of anal plate; i. Setae on anterior margin of anogenital fold; j. Setae on lateral margin of anogenital fold; k. Pregenital disc pores; l. Spiracular pores; m. Leg showing coxal cavity; n. Claw digitules and tarsal digitules; o. Antenna; p. Ventral microducts around labium; q. Female habitus.