Anzaspis neocordylinidis Łagowska & Hodgson, 2012

Łagowska, Bozena, 2012, Two more new species of armoured scale insect (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea: Diaspididae) from Fiji, Zootaxa 3384, pp. 60-67 : 61-63

Anzaspis neocordylinidis Łagowska & Hodgson spec. nov.

( Fig. 1 )

Type material studied: Holotype Ƥ: FIJI, Viti Levu, Suva, on Cordyline terminalis (Agavaceae) , 31.iii.1956, B.A. O’Conner ( BMNH): 1/1 adf (good). Paratype Ƥ: data as for holotype ( BMNH) 1/1 adf (good). Also: FIJI, Viti Levu, Suva, on Freycinetia sp. ( Pandanaceae ), 21.iii.1956, B.A. O’Conner ( BMNH): 3/3 ad ff (good).

Slide mounted adult females small, about 0.5–0.6 mm long; body elongate; head gently rounded to flat; pygidium rounded to slightly V-shaped.

Pygidium with 2 pairs of prominent lobes. Median lobes rounded, zygotic at base, set close together forming a narrow median cleft; each lobe about twice as long as wide, with 1 or 2 inner notches and 1 outer notch and distinctly larger than second lobes. Second lobes bilobed; inner lobule much larger than outer lobule, both margins with 1 notch; third lobes represented by serrations along body margin. Gland spines moderately large, each with 1 microduct, arranged singly on pygidial segments IV–VII; absent more anteriorly.

Dorsum with large two-barred macroducts, each almost twice as long as wide, with 1 marginal duct on each side of segment VII and with totals on each side: (marginal + submarginal macroducts) VI 2–4, V 8–11, IV 5–8 and III 2–6; submedial macroducts slightly smaller than marginal macroducts and arranged in groups: VI 1–3, V 3–4, and IV 1–4. Dorsal microducts and bosses absent. Anal opening oval, small, 7–8 μm wide, positioned 90–100 μm from posterior margin in anterior quarter of pygidium.

Ventral surface with quinquelocular perivulvar pores in 5 elongate groups (postero-lateral groups 8–14; medio-lateral groups 6–7 and anterior group 2–4 pores). Microducts sparse, present submarginally on abdominal segments III–V, submedially on segments I–III, on thoracic segments near each spiracle, and also lateral to clypeolabral shield. Small two-barred ducts present submarginally in groups: III 0–1, II 3–5 and I 5–11, plus metathorax 8–15 and mesothorax 5–9. Ventral duct tubercles present submarginally: I & II 4–6, III 3, IV 2, plus 1–3 on metathorax. Antennae each with a single long seta. Anterior spiracles each with a group of 6–13 trilocular pores; posterior spiracles without pores.

Etymology: the name refers to the similarity of the new species to A. cordylinidis (Maskell) , neo- new and cordylinidis , the Maskell species.

Comment. This species is very close to Anzaspis cordylinidis (Maskell) , currently only known from New Zealand where it has also been collected on Cordyline and Freycinetia spp. ( Henderson, 2011). A. neocordylinidis differs mainly in having all mediodorsal macroducts the same size (anterior mediodorsal macroducts significantly smaller on A. cordylinidis ). In addition, A. neocordylinidis has (character-states on A. cordylinidis in brackets): (i) submedial macroducts absent from abdominal segment III (present); (ii) fewer perivulvar pores, namely 30–46 (67–95), and (iii) third lobes represented by serrations along body margin (clearly lobed). The fact that these two species share at least two host-plant genera might suggest that they are the same species but we believe that the differences are sufficient to separate them. The unavailability of nymphal specimens and especially the 1st-instar exuvium precludes a definitive comparison with A. cordylinidis which has a unique microduct distribution on the dorsum of the 1st-instar exuvium (see Henderson, 2011). If, in the future, A. neocordylinidis is found to be a junior synonym of A. cordylinidis , this would suggest either that the species had been introduced into Fiji in the fairly recent past or it would support the view that there had been some connection between the two archipelagoes in the distant past (see discussion below).

A. neocordylinidis is also close to A. freycinetiae (Williams & Watson) but differs in having (character states on A freycinetiae in brackets): (i) only 1 marginal macroduct between median and submedian lobes (two); (ii) large macroducts present marginally and submarginally on segment III (only small 2-barred ducts present on III); (iii) more small 2-barred ducts and duct tubercles on abdominal segments I–IV and metathorax; (iv) median lobes with notches on both inner and outer margins (inner margins only), (v) generally more perispiracular disc pores (6–13 as compared with to 4–8); and (vi) duct tubercles present on metathorax (absent).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adult female Anzaspis neocordylinidis Łagowska & Hodgson.