Nidularia balachowskii Bodenheimer

Spodek, Malkie, Ben-Dov, Yair, Ghanim, Murad & Mendel, Zvi, 2012, Morphological and molecular taxonomy of Nidularia balachowskii Bodenheimer (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Kermesidae) with notes on its life history in Israel, ZooKeys 254, pp. 23-45 : 27-30

Nidularia balachowskii Bodenheimer

Nidularia balachowskii Bodenheimer, 1941: 78-80.

Adult female.

General appearance.Young, pre-reproductive adult dorsum brownish and venter yellowish white; oval, soft and flat; 1.2-1.9 mm long and 0.6-0.9 mm wide. Dorsal surface covered with 5 longitudinal rows of rectangular wax plates, each plate about 0.25 mm long and 0.3 mm wide; median row with 11 plates, lateral row on each side of median row with 9-11 plates and marginal rows with 7-9 plates. The wax plates become gradually smaller in size towards anterior and posterior apices and lateral margin (Fig. 1). Post-reproductive female oval, moderately convex and sclerotized; 2.75-3.75 mm long, 2-3 mm wide and 0.8-1.8 mm high; 5 longitudinal rows of dark brown wax plates almost fused; with lighter brown wax in between rows of plates (Fig. 2).

Slide-mountedyoungadult female 0.8- 3 mm long, 0.5-2.5 mm wide (Fig. 3).

Margin. Marginal setae, pointed, 12-13 µm long; placed in a row of 30-36 setae. Stigmatic spines absent. Anal cleft absent.

Dorsum. Simple pores, circular, each with a sclerotized rim and 1 µm diameter; covering entire dorsum. Other pore types absent. Dorsal setae absent.

Venter. Eyes circular, 5-7 µm diameter, each placed anterolaterally to each antenna. Antennae each1-segmented, 15-25 µm long, 12-18 µm wide; eachbearing 2-6 fleshy setae. Legs absent. Clypeolabral shield 113-155 µm long, 113-125 µm wide. Labium 3-segmented, triangular, 100-125 µm long, 50-63 µm wide; labial setae as follows; basal segment with 2 pairs of hair-like setae, 9-20 µm long, median segment with 1 pair of hair-like setae, 11-13 µm long, apical segment with 6 setae; 2 apical setae, 9-12 µm long plus 4 hair-like; subapical setae, each 12-20 µm long. Spiracles subequal in size; each 42-60 µm long, 31-50 µm diameter of peritreme. Quinquelocular pores each 5 µm diameter; with 8-11 between mesothoracic spiracles and submarginal band of tubular ducts; 10-13 between the metathoracic spiracles; 2-4 laterad to each metathoracic spiracle; also in a single, complete submarginal band, 1 pore wide from head apex to anal ring; total number of pores per side about 50-71.Bilocular pores each about 3 µm wide, totaling 103-135 per side, dispersed within a submarginal tubular duct band. Multilocular pores each 7-8 µm in diameter with 9-10 loculi; in groups of 3 or 4 between each metathoracic and mesothoracic spiracle;in transverse bands across abdominal segments arranged as follows; segment III with 3-7, IV with 12-24, V with 14-28, VI with 15-35, VII with 18-25, VIII with 12-19, IX with 2-3 on each side of vulva. Tubular ducts dispersed in a complete submarginal band, 2-3 ducts wide, each duct with outer ductule 12-18 µm long and 5 µm wide, a sclerotized cup about 5 µm in diameter and inner ductule about 22-30 µm long; also scattered over thorax. Other ventral setae: with a group of 7 or 8 setae, each 7-13 µm long, anterior to clypeus; 1 pair, 7-8 µm long, posterior to each antenna; 8-12 setae, each 5-8 µm long, placed medially to each spiracle; 8 setae, 5-13 µm long, distributed in 1 longitudinal row placed medially to each marginal band of bilocular pores and tubular ducts; each abdominal segment with transverse rows of 4-10 setae, each 7-8 µm long, placed anterior to bands of multilocular pores. Microspines present on median and submedian areas of each abdominal segment, in 3-5 transverse rows; each spine about 1 µm long, also scattered on thorax. Anal ring located on venter,composed of 2semi-circles; diameter27-35 µm; each half circle bearing 3 pointed setae and 10-12 cells; anterior setae each 25-38 µm long, median and posterior setae each 15-25 µm long; 2 pairs of thin setae just anterior to anal ring, each 7-10 µm long, plus a pair of pointed setae postero-laterally to anal ring, separated by a space about double diameter of anal ring, each 10-13 µm long. Also1 pair of apical setae, each 65-68 µm long, and 4 setae, each 15-22 µm long, between apical setae, similar in structure to, but longer than, marginal setae.

First-instar nymph.

General appearance. Yellow-greyish, oval and tapering posteriorly 0.38-0.43 mm long and 0.2-0.3 mm wide.

Slide-mounted specimen. Oval, 0.42-0.53 mm long and 0.19-0.34 mm wide (Fig. 4).

Margin. Marginal setae sharply spinose, pointed apically and slightly curved; each 9-15 µm long; in a distinct row of 26-33 setae on each margin.

Dorsum. Derm membranous; intersegmental lines observable. Simple pores, circular with a sclerotized rim, each 1 µm diameter; totaling about 30, scattered over entire dorsum in 4 longitudinal rows; 2 submarginal lines on thorax and abdomen and 2 medial lines on abdomen; with a single pair of submedial setae on each thoracic segment, each 5 µm long.

Venter. Eyes present as semi-circles near margin, diameter 12-15 µm. Antennae each 6-segmented, length 88-125 µm; segments III and VI longer than other segments; scape with 2 hair-like setae; pedicel with 2 hair-like setae; segment III with 1 long hair-like seta; IV with 1 fleshy seta; V with 1 fleshy seta, 2 hair-like setae and, 1 thick hair-like seta; apical segment with 2 fleshy setae and 5 hair-like setae. Legs well-developed; measurements of hind legs; (in µm): coxae 25-30, trochanter + femur 63-80, tibia 25-38, tarsus 25-60, claw 13-23; total leg length 158-213; trochanter with 2 oval, sensory pores on each side, each about 2-3 µm wide; setae present on each leg segment; tarsal digitules each 25-30 µm long, knobbed apically, extending beyond apex of claw; claw digitules knobbed apically, each 14-20 µm long, shorter than tarsal digitules; each claw with a single denticle near the tip. Clypeolabral shield well-developed; 75-90 µm long and 63-75 µm wide. Labium 3-segmented, triangular, 82-100 µm long and 35-38 µm wide; labial setae as follows; basal segment with 2 pairs of setae, each 10-15 µm long, median segment with 1 pair of hair-like setae on dorsal surface, each 10-20 µm long, apical segment with 3 pairs of hair-like setae, 12-17 µm long. Spiracles subequal in size; peritreme about 3-5 µm diameter; crescent shaped sclerosis 15-25 µm long. Bilocular pores, oval, each 2 µm long and 1 µm wide, with 1 present submarginally about level of each spiracle. Quinquelocular pores each 3 µm diameter, as follows; 1 just anterior to each spiracle; 1 medially to each coxa; 2 on each of abdominal segments IV, V, VI. Microspines present on median and submedian areas of each abdominal segment, in 2-4 transverse rows; each spine about 1 µm long. Setae 1 pair, similar in size and shape to marginal setae, between anterior apex of body and basal segments of antennae; 6 interantennal setae, each 20-30 µm long between basal segments of antennae and anterior apex of clypeus; 1 seta 8-15 µm long medially to each coxa; 2 longitudinal rows, each with 7-8 setae, similar in shape to marginal setae but shorter, each about 8 µm long, extending submarginally from laterad to metathoracic coxae to anterior margin of anal ring, no setae present on most posterior abdominal segment; 2 longitudinal rows of 6 setae, each about 5 µm long, located submarginally on abdomen; 2 longitudinal rows of 4 setae, each about 10 µm long, located submedially on abdomen; plus 2 longitudinal rows of 6 setae, about 17-18 µm long, located medially. Anal ring located ventrally; composed of 2 semi-circles; diameter 15-25 µm; each semi-circle with about 17 cells and 3 pointed setae, subequal in size, each 20-30 µm long. Also with a pair of setae, each 12-15 µm long, anterior to anal ring and 1 pair, each 15-25 µm long, postero-laterally to anal ring. Anal lobes well-developed; each lobe bearing 2 pointed setae, 12-15 µm long, distinctly thicker than marginal setae, plus 1 pair of long, apical setae 77-125 µm long.