Ovaticoccus exoticus, Pellizzari, Giuseppina & Kozár, Ferenc, 2011

Pellizzari, Giuseppina & Kozár, Ferenc, 2011, A new species of Greenisca and two new species of Ovaticoccus from Italy (Hemiptera Coccoidea Eriococcidae), with a key to European genera of Eriococcidae., Zootaxa 3090, pp. 57-68 : 61-63

Ovaticoccus exoticus sp. n.

(fig. 2)

Type data. Holotype, adult female, Italy, Sicily, island of Mozia (Trapani district), off Agave americana , 26.viii.2008, collected by G. Pellizzari, slide n. 1546/1. Paratypes: 16 adult females, on slides 1546/2–9, same data as holotype; 1st and 2nd instar nymphs, on slides 1546/10–13, same data as holotype. Holotype and most paratypes deposited in DEAE, two paratypes deposited in PPI.

Unmounted female. Body of adult female oval, pinkish, derm membranous, covered with powdery wax and with wax filaments on abdomen.

Mounted female. Body oval, 2.64 (1.6–3.2) mm long, 1.5 (0.97–1.8) mm wide.

Venter. Antennae 7 segmented; segment lengths (in µm) I: 30 (24–30), II: 26 (22–30), III: 26 (20–26), IV: 24 (20– 24), V: 16 (16–22), VI: 16 (16–20), VII: 26 (24–26); segment II with 1 sensory pore, segments V and VI each with one sensory falcate seta; segment VII with 3 sensory falcate setae. Preantennal pore present, 3 µm in diameter. Eyes present on margin. Labium 3 segmented, 84 (80–90) µm long, basal segment not well developed, with two pairs of setae, total number of setae 9 pairs. Stylet loop reaching line behind middle legs. Legs well developed, all about the same very constant lengths (in µm), forecoxae 30, trochanter + femur 80, tibia 40, tarsus 50, claw 16–18; midcoxae 30, trochanter + femur 80 (70–80), tibia 40, tarsus 50, claw 16–20; hindcoxae 30, trochanter + femur 80, tibia 40, tarsus 50, tarsal digitules knobbed 34–36, claw 18–20, claw digitules knobbed, longer than claw, 24–26. Mid- and hindcoxae with spinulae on anterior (ventral) surfaces. Each trochanter with 2 sensory pores on each surface. Claws without denticles. All legs with a few flagellate setae and with a sensory pore at base of each tarsus. Spiracles 20 µm in diameter, with 4–8 quinquelocular pores situated very near each spiracular opening. Quinquelocular pores each 5 µm in diameter, distributed mostly on body margin and submargin, around labium and on last abdominal segments. Ventral setae of variable lengths, each 8 to 40 µm long, scattered on abdomen; also some short flagellate setae present on head and thorax. Oval cruciform pores, each 6 µm long, present in small clusters on submargin of abdominal segments V–VIII and in sparse bands across medial abdominal segments; rare on mesothorax. Macrotubular ducts absent.

Anal ring incomplete, sclerotised, 34 (30–34) µm wide and 20 µm long, without pores, but with three pairs of setae, one pair 16–20 µm long, longer than other two pairs. Anal lobe not developed, with an apical seta 90 (90– 110) µm long and two spine-like setae, each 28–30 and 20 µm long

Dorsum. Dorsal setae dome shaped, about 6–8 µm long, present mostly in single rows of 6 setae across each thoracic and abdominal, segment, plus 3 or 4 on margin of head and 3 or 4 on frons. Small hair-like setae, each about 8 µm long, scattered on abdominal segments. Microducts oval, short, sclerotized, each about 4 µm long, with normal orifice, sparse along submargin of thorax and abdomen. Quinquelocular pores, similar to those on venter, sparse over entire surface. Macrotubular ducts absent. Anal lobes not developed. Cauda absent.

Ethymology. The species name is based on the Latin adjective exoticus meaning “foreign, alien”, because this species, even though collected in Sicily ( Italy), surely does not belong to European fauna.

Affinities. O. exoticus is related to O. agavium but differs mostly in the absence of dorsal macrotubular ducts. Moreover, it has fewer dome-shaped dorsal setae, all about the same size, and fewer oval cruciform pores on the ventral abdominal segments. O. parkerorum Miller shares with O. exoticus the absence of dorsal macrotubular ducts, but the former has a distinctly dorsal anal ring, which is circular and complete (incomplete on O. exoticus ) and quinquelocular pores on the venter only (present on both surfaces on O. exoticus ).