Barbenigma boscus Powell & Miller & Keller 2024, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Powell, Erin C.
name: Miller, Douglass R.
name: Keller, Oliver
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Ortheziidae
Barbenigma
Barbenigma boscus

description: Barbenigma boscus Powell & Miller, sp. nov.
Material examined
Holotype: adult ♀, mounted singly. NEBRASKA: Furnas Co., Arapahoe, junction of Highway 6 and 46 (40.308056, -99.863611), 8 July 2023, on roots of Bromus inermis (Poaceae) on roadside, coll. D.R. Miller and B.D. Denno, 2023-07304, FSCA _00073131 (FSCA).
Paratypes: 2 adult ♀♀ with same data as holotype mounted singly on 2 slides (FSCA_00073132–FSCA_ 00073133) (FSCA, USNM).
Etymology: The species epithet is a noun in apposition derived from the Medieval Latin word “ boscus ” meaning “bush”, referring to the duct clusters on this species.
Adult female (Figs 8 and 9)
Description: Slide-mounted holotype 1.18 mm long, 0.90 mm wide, with several large eggs retained inside body; paratypes (n=2) 1.04−1.29 mm long, 0.74 mm wide; body rotund oval.
Dorsum with robust fimbriate setae (Fig. 8r), with up to five tines, sparse, one present marginally on each abdominal segment, one present medially on each abdominal segment, roughly in single longitudinal submedial line on thorax and head, longest seta on medial area of abdomen 26 µm long (paratypes 30–36 µm), longest seta on margin 31 µm long (paratypes 36–39 µm), longest seta on head 25 µm long (paratypes 25–27 µm). Dorsal spines (Fig. 8q) each without setal base, with swollen, rounded apex, sparse, one to three on each side of each abdominal segment, longest spine on medial area of abdomen 31 µm long (paratypes 27–31 µm), longest spine on thorax and head 22 µm long (paratypes 28–29 µm). Tubular ducts (Fig. 8h, n, p) scattered over body. Multilocular pores absent. Short conical setae dome- or acorn-shaped (Fig. 8b) one to several clustered near base of each antenna, 4 µm in height, 4 µm wide (paratypes 4–5 µm by 4 µm). Simple pores (Fig. 8c, s) each with slightly raised rounded center, scattered over body. Some specimens with unknown structure (Fig. 8t) near each antenna with unequal sides, without base, longest side 6–7 µm. Anal lobes (Fig. 8o) indistinct, each lobe area bearing enlarged fimbriate seta, 45 µm long (paratype 39 µm), enlarged capitate seta 56 µm long (paratype 59 µm), spine with swollen apex 25 µm long (paratype 34 µm), on each side of anal ring. Microtrichia absent. Derm smooth.
Anal ring (Fig. 8o) wrapping around margin, invaginated in pocket, forming setal basket, with ring of pores, bearing six robust anal-ring setae each with truncate apices, one paratype specimen with seven anal-ring setae, about equal in size, 40 µm long (paratype 41 µm), 0.9 times (paratype 0.8 times) as long as greatest diameter of anal ring.
Venter with two pairs of thoracic spiracles (Fig. 8f), spiracular openings projecting above derm by about 7 µm, three pairs of abdominal spiracles, spiracular openings flush with derm; thoracic and abdominal spiracle atria each with ring of pores, these without loculi, typically in single row around spiracle, one thoracic spiracle on holotype with one pore in double row, 7–11 (paratypes 9–10) pores in ring around anterior thoracic spiracle, opening 16 µm in diameter (paratypes 17–18 µm), 8–11 (paratypes 10–11) pores in ring around each abdominal spiracle, first abdominal spiracular opening 14 µm in diameter (paratypes 15–17 µm). Body setae (Fig. 8j) with capitate apices, those on abdomen longer than those on thorax and head, longest seta on thorax or head 18 µm (paratypes 18 µm), longest seta on abdomen 36 µm (paratypes 33–40 µm). Robust fimbriate setae and spines with swollen apices, marginal. Dome- and acorn-shaped setae, each with raised rounded blunt apex, in cluster on head, about same size as those on dorsum. Eye absent. Labium two-segmented, small, about as wide as long, round, 34 µm long, 36 µm wide (paratype 35 µm by 40 µm), only one seta arising from all basal sockets. Vulva wide, 215 µm wide (paratypes 192–194 µm), with smooth margins, with heavily sclerotized lateral bars on either side of vulva. Margins of abdominal segments with heavily sclerotized areas (probably muscle attachment points) (not illustrated in Fig. 8 but see Fig. 9B), the posterior two sclerotizations each typically with two associated tubular ducts on each side (Fig. 9B). Compound duct clusters (Fig. 8l) present marginally, clusters of tubular ducts (Fig. 8k) with quadrilocular centers, spines (Fig. 8m) arising from between quadrilocular ducts, clusters set in sclerotized ring, three pairs on abdomen, one on each side of each of segments VI–VIII, two medially (one posterior to vulva, one anterior to vulva), eight duct clusters total on abdomen, 16–22 ducts per median cluster (paratypes 15–25), 14–16 ducts per marginal cluster (paratypes 15), median clusters 27–32 µm in diameter (paratypes 22–33 µm), marginal clusters 25–30 µm in diameter (paratypes 25–29 µm). Multilocular pores absent. Simple pores few, scattered on thorax and abdomen, about same size as those on dorsum. Microtrichia absent. Derm smooth. Anal lobes indistinct, each lobe area bearing cluster of two enlarged capitate setae, 53–57 µm long (paratype 56 µm), one small seta (fimbriate on one side but not on other on holotype, fimbriate on paratype specimens), 15 µm long (paratype 14 µm), and one spine with swollen apex, 26 µm long (paratype 33 µm). Antennae (Fig. 8a) each three-segmented, segments short, segments I and III subequal, holotype antennae coming straight up on slide, paratypes total length 83–88 µm, segment I 34–37 µm long, segment II 24–28 µm long, apical segment 34 µm long. Apical segment with one long fleshy apical seta, straight with a rounded blunt tip, 30 µm long (paratypes 34 µm), one short fleshy subapical seta, curved with a rounded blunt tip, 18 µm long (paratypes 17 µm), a third fleshy seta at apex, microseta adjacent to apical setae, one capitate spine on apex, unspecialized setae long and straight. Pseudobasal antennal segment absent. Legs (Fig. 8i) reduced in size, all about equal. Trochanter and femur fused, with two campaniform sensilla on each surface. Tibia and tarsus not fused, tarsus one-segmented. Coxa 52 µm long (paratypes 47–49 µm), trochanter + femur 68 µm long (paratypes 67–68 µm), tibia 26 µm (paratypes 26 µm), tarsus 47 µm long (paratypes 46–47 µm), tibia/tarsus 0.6 (paratypes 0.6), claw 22 µm long (paratypes 19–21 µm). Leg setae sparse, straight, spiniform dorsally and setiform ventrally, enlarged spines between tibia and tarsus absent. Sensory pore between tibia and tarsus present, sensory seta between tibia and tarsus absent. Tarsal digitules absent. Claw digitules each spine-like with acute apex, shorter than claw, claw denticle absent.
Notes: See the ‘Notes’ section of B. biza for a comparison of the two species.
As in B. biza, the simple pores on the thorax and abdomen may not be homologous to the ones on the head, and we call these simple pores rather than setae. The ones on the head have a lot of depth, easily visible when seen in lateral view; however, those on the thorax and abdomen (both ventral and dorsal) did not have such obvious depth.
The antennae of the adult females of both new species are very difficult to measure accurately because the segments are short and round, rarely lying flat (see Figs 4C, D; 9C). When mounted flat, they are crushed and distorted. One of the paratype specimens is mounted in such a way that it was impossible to measure the setae and spines in and around the anal ring.
description: Published as part of Powell, Erin C., Miller, Douglass R. & Keller, Oliver, 2024, Barbenigma Powell & Miller, a bizarre new genus and two new species of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Ortheziidae) from the United States, pp. 293-317 in Zootaxa 5529 (2) on pages 309-312, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5529.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/14022493