Umbonichiton rimu, Henderson & Hodgson, 2005

Henderson, Rosa C. & Hodgson, Chris J., 2005, Two new species of Umbonichiton (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Cocccoidea: Coccidae) from New Zealand, Zootaxa 854 (1), pp. 1-11 : 7-10

Umbonichiton rimu sp. nov. ( Fig. 2 )

Unmounted material: in life, young females yellow­brown, changing to bicoloured with a darker patterned lateral band at maturity; body shape convex; test as in generic diagnosis.

Mounted material: body elongate oval with rounded ends. Size moderate, length 1.28–2.63 mm; breadth 0.67–1.43 mm; anal cleft about 150–325 µm long.

Dorsum: dorsal pores probably distributed in a reticulate pattern as for genus but distribution of simple pores hard to determine; dorsal pores of 3 types: dorsal macropores heavily sclerotised and truncated, cone­shaped to bollard­shaped, apex blunt, sides sometimes converging, or almost parallel; abundant in median and submedian reticulation lines, and with 2–4 in each median transverse line (2 medially in transverse line just anterior to anal plates); none associated with submarginal reticulation lines; simple pores clearly different and significantly larger than microductules. Anal plates: length 130–150 µm, combined widths 104–130 µm; with 6–9 minute pores on upper surface of each plate; length of setae: inner margin setae 1 each 8–10 µm (located about 1/6 along inner margin), inner margin setae 2 each 8–10 µm (located on apex), apical setae 10–12 µm, outer margin setae 10–17 µm (located slightly onto dorsal surface). Anogenital fold with 4 or 5 setae along antero­lateral margins, longest seta short, usually about 33–35 µm but up to 60 µm on one individual.

Margin: marginal setae small and finely spinose, occurring near to, or at, each reticulation point around margin (reticulation point setae), each about 8–10 µm long; with 5–8 setae between eyespots anteriorly, plus 2 or 3 between eyespots and anterior stigmatic cleft (on each side), 2–5 on each side between anterior and posterior stigmatic clefts, and 8–11 between posterior stigmatic clefts and anal cleft (on each side). Both anterior and posterior stigmatic clefts with 1 large, parallel­sided, blunt spine, each 36–55 µm long, plus a short spine on each posterior margin, similar to but slightly larger than a marginal spine, each 11–19 µm long.

Venter: pregenital disc­pores as for genus: number present mediolaterally on each side of each segment: anal cleft/ VII, 6–14; VI, 2–5; V, 1–3; IV & III, 0 or 1; II, 0; with none present laterad to each metacoxa. Spiracular disc­pores in narrow bands about 1–2 pores wide: with 15–21 in each anterior band, and 17–22 in each posterior band. Ventral microducts rather sparse, possibly present throughout, although very sparse on abdominal segments VI & VII. Ventral tubular ducts as for genus, quite sparse but more frequent than on U. bispinatus and forming a rather broader submarginal band; absent medially apart from a few near mouthparts and occasionally near coxae. Ventral setae: ventral anal lobe setae 13–25 µm long; with 1 or 2 pairs of anterior anal cleft setae; length of longest pregenital setae 58–80 µm; number of setae present medially on each abdominal segment (totals): VII, 7–12 + 1 pair long setae; VI, 8–19 (many setae on VI and VII 16–25 µm long); V –III, 13–19; II, 7–11; with 5–7 anterior to each metacoxa, 3–8 anterior to each mesocoxa and 2 or 3 posterior to each procoxa; with 2 or 3 pairs of interantennal setae (length of longest seta 40–55 µm); with 6 small submarginal setae on each side between stigmatic clefts (but submarginal setae very frequent in abdomen). Preantennal pores present. Antennae 6 segmented, segment III with 2 or 3 pseudo­articulations; total length 223–260 µm, length apical seta 46–52 µm. Clypeolabral shield 140–155 µm long. Width of spiracular peritremes: anterior 30–37 µm; posterior 34–40 µm. Legs: lengths (metathoracic): coxa 90–102 µm; trochanter + femur 120–125 µm; tibia 90–105 µm; tarsus 70–78 µm; claw 11–13 µm.

Material examined: HOLOTYPE female: NEW ZEALAND, AK, Titirangi , 21 Ngaio Road, 15 Feb 2004, RC Henderson, on base of leaves of Dacrydium cupressinum, NZAC #04­039b: 1/1adf.

Paratype females: same data as holotype except NZAC#04­039 a,c & #04­046a: 3/ 3adff + 1 1st­instar; Waitakere Ra., Taumata Track (Ferndown), 31 Dec 2000, N.A. Martin, on underside of leaves of D. cupressinum, NZAC #01­001: 1/1adf .

Other material: Titirangi, 21 Ngaio Road, 26 Jan 2004, RC Henderson, on base of leaves of D. cupressinum, NZAC #04­023: 2/2adff; as previous, except 13 June 2004, NZAC #04­111: 1/1adf; Parekura Peak Ridge, 25 Feb 2001, on D. cupressinum, F.L. Henderson, NZAC #01­029: 1/1adf; Waitakere Filter Station, end of Christian Road, 23 Sep 2004, RC Henderson, leaves of D. cupressinum, NZAC #04­203: 1/3adff; as previous, except 31 Oct 2004, NZAC #04­255: 3/5adff.

Etymology: rimu is the Maori name for the host plant Dacrydium cupressinum .

Remarks. U. rimu is closest to U. hymenantherae (Maskell) but differs in having bollard­shaped macropores rather than the pointed cone­shaped macropores of U. hymenantherae . In addition, the latter is not recorded from podocarp host plants.

U. rimu and U. bispinatus differ as follows (character­states of U. bispinatus in brackets): (i) each posterior stigmatic cleft with a large stigmatic spine similar to those in anterior stigmatic clefts (large stigmatic spines absent from posterior stigmatic clefts); (ii) dorsal macropores rather abundant and present on medial reticulation lines (much less abundant and often absent medially); (iii) pregenital disc­pores present mediolaterally only on abdominal segments III– VII (present on all abdominal segments and often laterad to metacoxae); (iv) macropores clearly rounded and often rather parallel­sided (macropores cone­shaped narrowing to a fairly sharp apex); (v) pregenital setae usually rather abundant and several up to 25–45 µm long (pregenital setae rather few and only rarely with one longer than 12 µm); (vi) each anal plate with 6–9 minute pores (each with 3–5 pores); (vii) anal plates with inner margin seta 2 on apex (inner margin seta 2 located about one­sixth from apex along inner margin), and (viii) large body: 1.28–1.63 mm long, anal plates 130–150 µm, clypeolabral shield 140–155 µm, trochanter + femur of leg 120– 125 µm (smaller body: 1.1–1.25 mm long, anal plates 100–105 µm, clypeolabral shield 105–110 µm, trochanter + femur 105–110 µm).

U. bispinatus and U. rimu are both found on Dacrydium cupressinum (Podocarpaceae) and have both been collected from the same tree in Titirangi. There was a good­sized population of U. bispinatus on the Titirangi tree, but only one female has been found so far at any other site. The known distribution of U. rimu is limited to four sites in the Waitakere Ranges, West Auckland (including Titirangi); however, this may reflect collecting effort. Members of the Podocarpaceae seem to be "favourite" hosts of other Umbonichiton species Umbonichiton adelus , U. bullatus , and U. pellaspis have all been collected from another podocarp species, Podocarpus totara .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Umbonichiton rimu Henderson & Hodgson, sp. nov., adult female.