Toumeyella martinezi Kondo and Gonzalez, 2014

Kondo, Takumasa & González, Héctor, 2014, A new species of Toumeyella Cockerell (Hemiptera: Coccidae) on Myrtillocactus geometrizans (Cactaceae) from Mexico with a checklist of known species of Toumeyella in the world, Insecta Mundi 2014 (396), pp. 1-10 : 3-5

Toumeyella martinezi Kondo and Gonzalez , sp. nov.

Description. Adult female ( Fig. 1 and 2 ).

Proposed common name: English: Garambullo cactus soft scale. Spanish: Escama blanda del garambullo.

Material studied. Holotype: adult female ( CNIN). Mexico: state of Hidalgo, Huichapan, Zequetepe, vii.2011, coll. Diana Martinez, ex Myrtillocactus geometrizans (Mart. ex Pfeiff.) Console (Cactaceae) . Paratypes: same data as holotype 4 adult females ( CNIN), 3 adult females ( USNM).

Unmounted material. ( Fig. 1 ) Body convex, round in shape. Derm pale green in color, with a darker green marginal band; mid dorsum lighter in color, orange to orange-brown, with two darker green mid dorsal parallel lines; anal plates dark-brown ( Fig. 1A ). Adult females becoming dark to reddish-brown ( Fig. 1B ).

Mounted material. ( Fig. 2 ) Body outline elongate oval, body 4.2–7.2 mm long, 3.1–5.7 mm wide.

Dorsum. Derm membranous. Dorsal setae sharply spinose, straight or curved, each 10–18 μm long, evenly scattered. Dorsal microducts each about 3 μm wide, with a long terminal filament, evenly scattered. Simple pores not detected. Preopercular pores numerous, present in a mid-dorsal line extending from area anterior to anal plates up to mid dorsum, each pore 6.0–11.0 μm wide. Dorsal tubular ducts, tubercles and pocket-like sclerotizations absent. Anal plates together quadrate, with rounded angles, sometimes with notched angles, plates located at about 1/4 of body length from posterior margin, each plate 205–235 μm long, 125–150 μm wide, anterolateral margin 150–195 μm long, posterolateral margin 150–175 μm long, with 3 or 4 apical setae, 1 pair of long fringe setae, about 8–10 ventral subapical setae and 4–6 hypopygial setae. Anal ring with about 10 setae. A sclerotic area present around anal plates in older specimens.

Margin. Marginal setae bluntly to sharply spinose, straight to slightly bent, each 12.5–25.0 μm long, arranged in a single irregular row, with 10–15 on each side between anterior and posterior spiracular areas. Spiracular clefts shallow, with 2 or 3 spiracular setae per spiracular area, each 17.5–30.0 μm long, all setae subequal in size or median spiracular seta slightly longer than lateral setae. Eyes not detected.

Venter. Derm entirely membranous. Pregenital disc-pores each 6–7 μm wide, mostly with 5–7 loculi, present around vulvar area. Spiracular disc-pores mostly with 6 loculi, with a few pores with 3, 4, and 5 loculi, each pore 4.0–6.5 μm wide, present in a narrow band as wide as spiracular peritremes, extending laterally from each spiracle to body margin. Ventral microducts scattered evenly throughout, each about 2.5 μm wide. Ventral tubular ducts present around vulvar region, each tubular duct with a slender terminal filament ending in a small gland. Ventral setae slender, straight or slightly bent, each 10–18 μm long; also 3 pairs of long median setae, each 20–45 μm long. Spiracles well developed, anterior spiracular peritremes each 85–110 μm wide, posterior peritremes each 100–140 μm wide. Legs greatly reduced, but most segments usually discernible, each segment with few setae, total length each leg 115–215 μm long, claw 12.0–17.5 μm long; metathoracic legs largest; claws with a small denticle, claw digitules, slender, knobbed; tarsal digitules knobbed or spiniform. Antennae short, each 120–193 μm long, 5 or 6 segmented, with fleshy setae present on last two antennal segments. With 3 pairs of interantennal setae. Mouthparts well developed, clypeolabral shield 240–285 μm wide; labium 1 segmented, with 4 pairs of labial setae.

Etymology. The species is named after Diana Y. Martinez-Hernandez, entomologist, who collected the insect.

Notes. The ant Liometopum apiculatum Mayr has been observed in a mutualistic relationship with T. martinezi sp. nov. on the cactus M. geometrizans (D. Y. Martinez-Hernandez, personal communication); the ant feeds on the honeydew excreted by the soft scale and in exchange the ant appears to give protection to the soft scale from its natural enemies as has been reported for other ant species (Way 1963). Toumeyella martinezi is commonly found in the middle part of the plant where there is more fresh tissue over the inter-ridges of the plant cladodes (D. Y. Martinez-Hernandez, personal communication). Toumeyella martinezi sp. nov. (as Toumeyella sp. ) is attacked by the parasitoid Mexidalgus toumeyellus Myartseva ( Hymenoptera : Aphelinidae ) (Myartseva et al. 2014). The ant L. apiculatum , commonly known as “escamol” in Mexico, is considered as a special food, a delicatessen dish in several Mexican restaurants (Velasco-Corona et al. 2007).

Figures

Figure 1. Toumeyella martinezi Kondo and Gonzalez on Myrtillocactus geometrizans. A. Adult female (center) surrounded by first- and second-instar nymphs. B. Highly sclerotized old adult female and nymphs tended by the ant Liometopum apiculatum Mayr (Zequeteje, Mexico). Photos: A by Jorge M. Valdes Carrasco; B by Jesus Luna.

Figure 2. Toumeyella martinezi Kondo and Gonzalez, adult female.