Poliaspis nalbo Hardy & Henderson

Hardy, Nate & Henderson, Rosa C., 2011, Revision of Poliaspis (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Diaspididae), with descriptions of 8 new species from Australia, ZooKeys 137, pp. 1-40 : 12-13

Poliaspis nalbo Hardy & Henderson sp. n. Fig. 10

Material examined.

Holotype: female: Australia, QLD, Maleny [-26.76, 152.85], in flower heads of Cryptandra scortechinii , 9.1987, D Hockings (ANIC);

Paratypes: QLD. 4 adult females: same data as holotype (QDPI).

Description, n=5.

Slide-mounted adult female 685-998 μm long (holotype 998 μm long), body outline elongate oval, margin of thorax and pre-pygidial abdominal segments undulate. Pygidium with 2 pairs of lobes; median lobes large, zygotic, parallel, lobes connected via sclerotic strap, each lobe wider than long, rounded, with dentate apex; margin between lobes incised; second lobe not bi-lobed. Gland spines 17-24 μm long, only slightly longer than median lobes, 1 gland spine on lateral margin of pygidial segment 7 (between medial and second lobes); 2 spines on margin of segment 6; 3 spines on margin of segment 5; pair of setae between median lobes. Dorsal ducts undifferentiated from marginal ducts, except for single larger marginal duct on segment 7; present in clusters (i.e. less organized than rows); 1 submedial duct present on segment 6; ca. 7 marginal-submarginal and ca. 6 submedial ducts on segment 5. Perivulvar pores: 3-4 posteromedial, 14-16 posterolateral, 18-23 posterior, 3-6 anteromedial, and 2-5 anterolateral. Trilocular pores in cluster of 6-8 near anterior spiracle; 2-3 near posterior spiracle. Microducts absent from dorsal surface of head, scattered on ventral surface of head, thorax and abdomen. Antenn a with 1 fleshy seta. Cluster of gland tubercles on ventral surface of head anterior to anterior spiracle, in addition to the submarginal / marginal clusters present more posteriorly.

Comments.

In contrast to many other Australian species of Poliaspis , which are very similar to one another, Poliaspis nalbo is very distinctive. It can be easily recognized by (1) the large, rounded, parallel median lobes; (2) the extra gland spines on the margin of abdominal segments 5 and 6; (3) the cluster of gland tubercles present on the ventral surface of the head (also present in Poliaspis narungga ); (4) the absence of microducts from the dorsal surface of the head.

Etymology.

The species name is taken from the name of one of the aboriginal groups that originally populated the type locality Maleny, the Nalbo people.