Marsipococcus brideliae Deng & Xing 2024, sp. n.
Creators: name: Deng, Min
name: Xing, Jichun
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Coccidae
Marsipococcus
Marsipococcus brideliae

description: Marsipococcus brideliae sp. n.
Figs 1 and 2.
Material examined: Holotype: adult ♀, CHINA: Guizhou Prov., / Libo County, Dongtang Town, / 25°28′5273″N, 108º01′96″E, / 428 m altitude, / on Bridelia retusa (L.) A. Juss, 1824 (Phyllanthaceae), / 7.January.2024, / Min Deng leg., mounted singly on a slide (GUGC). Paratypes: Same collection locality as holotype, 2 adult ♀♀, on Bridelia retusa / 24.April.2022, / Shitao Meng leg; 15.July.2022, / Shitao Meng leg; both mounted singly on slides (BFUC). The slide labels are written in English and Chinese.
Adult female
Appearance in life (Fig. 1): Adult female mostly flat but slightly convex in median area; body oval, widest at anterior of abdomen; extremities rounded. Median area of mature adult female pinkish, surrounded by a diffuse reddish brown zone that merges into the transparent submarginal and marginal areas (Fig. 1 B, C). Margin with fine, whitish marginal setae visible to the naked eye against dark green leaf. Eyes minute, black, situated on dorsum a considerable distance from margin (Fig. 1E).
Slide-mounted adult female (n=3) (Fig. 2): Body broadly oval, 7.3‒7.5 (7.4) mm long, 5.8‒6.1 (5.8) mm wide. Stigmatic clefts deep and very pronounced, each reniform. Anal cleft approximately 1/5 of body length, with sides not fused.
Dorsum. Derm membranous (Fig. 2A), except for a narrow, heavily sclerotised crescent along inner margins of each stigmatic cleft and around anal plates; derm with a series of irregularly shaped areolations; also with faint radial lines extending medially from margin as follows: 3 anteriorly on head between stigmatic clefts; 1 from each cleft; 1 on each side of thorax between clefts, and 5 on each side of abdomen (Fig. 2). Dorsal setae (Fig. 2B) very small, setose, slightly curved, often erect so difficult to measure, each 2.0‒4.0 (3.0) μm long, restricted to submedial area anterior to anal plates; these setae often each situated next to a pore. Dorsal pores all of 1 type (Fig. 2C): simple pores each 1.5‒2.0 (1.8) μm wide, without inner filaments; scattered throughout but more numerous in medial areas of abdomen and thorax, also with some on head. Preopecular pores absent. Dorsal tubercles and tubular ducts absent. Anal plates together approximately quadrate (Fig. 2D), with rounded outer angles, combined width 165‒170 (166) μm, each plate 237‒245 (241) μm long, with 2 setae on inner margin near apex, anteriormost seta about 9.0–10.0 μm long, other seta about 6.5–7.5 μm long; outer margin with 2 setae near apex, anteriormost seta about 6.0–7.2 μm long, other seta 11.8–13.0 μm long. Anogenital fold (Fig. 2E) with 1 pair of setae on anterior margin, each 10.0‒12.0 (11.0) μm long, and 2 on each lateral margin, setae at anterior end each 32.5‒35.0 (32.5) μm long, and those at posterior end each 41‒45 (42) μm long. Anal ring (Fig. 2F) 30‒32 (30) μm wide, with 2 rows of pores on anterior rim and 1 or 2 rows of pores on lateral and posterior rims; bearing 6 setae, each seta 75‒85 (78) μm long. Eyespots each 245‒260 (255) μm in diameter, each located well onto dorsum, anterior to level of antennal base and 510‒540 (520) μm from margin.
Margin. Marginal setae spinose (Fig. 2G), sharply pointed, some slightly curved at apex, each 35‒47 (38) μm long, with a broad basal socket; arranged in a single row, abundant, each side with 77‒80 setae between apex of head and anterior stigmatic cleft, 66‒68 setae between stigmatic clefts, and 142‒145 setae between posterior stigmatic cleft and anal cleft. Each stigmatic cleft deep, crescent shaped, with inner margin sclerotised, and with 2 stigmatic spines of similar length, each with parallel sides and a rounded apex, 54‒56 μm long (Fig. 2H), situated singly by each lateral margin of cleft.
Venter. Derm entirely membranous except for sclerotised outer ends of each stigmatic furrow. Pregenital discpores absent. Spiracular disc pores each 4.0‒5.0 (4.0) μm wide, with 5 loculi (Fig. 2I), some pores surrounded by a sclerotised ring, others not; present in bands 4‒6 pores wide, each band running between spiracular opening and margin in a stigmatic groove that is sclerotised near margin; each anterior band containing 45‒57 pores and each posterior band with 52‒63 pores. Preantennal pore absent. Ventral microducts (Fig. 2J) few, very sparse throughout, most frequent in submarginal zone between stigmatic clefts, each duct orifice minute and oval with a long inner ductule. Ventral tubular ducts all of 1 type (Fig. 2K), each with a long, narrow outer ductule about 6.5 μm long, a narrow inner ductule about 4.0 μm long ending in a terminal gland; restricted to a group of 13‒15 ducts on either side of genital opening. Ventral setae: submarginal zone of venter with sparse setose setae, each about 2.5 μm long (Fig. 2L). With 1 pair of long setae present on pregenital segment VII, each 95‒100 (98) μm long; 1 pair of moderately long setae present on abdominal segment VI, each 60‒65 (63) μm long, accompanied by 4 surrounding setae; and 1 pair of short setae present on segment V, each 23‒27 (25) μm long; metathorax with a single seta, 7‒9 (8) μm long, on mid-ventral line, and 1 pair of short setae posterior to mouthparts. Interantennal setae numbering 3 pairs, shortest setae each 18‒20 (20) μm long, medium-sized setae each measuring 32‒34 (32) μm and longest, each 45‒48 (46) μm long. Minute submarginal setae (Fig. 2M), each 2.2‒4.3 μm long, present just inside row of marginal setae; each side with 18‒20 minute setae between apex of head and anterior stigmatic cleft, 13‒16 between stigmatic clefts, and 35‒38 between posterior stigmatic cleft and anal cleft. Antennae (Fig. 2N) well developed, each 7 segmented, total length 375‒382 (377) μm, with third segment longest, 185‒190 (188) μm long. Setal distribution on antenna: scape 3 hair-like setae, pedicel 2 hair-like, segment III 4 hair-like, IV 0, V 2 hair-like, VI 3 hair-like and 1 fleshy seta; apical segment with 3 fleshy setae, 2 stiff setae and 1 hair-like seta; terminal stiff seta, 18.5‒22.5 (21.5) μm long. Clypeolabral shield 283‒290 (285) μm long, bearing 1 pair of setae, each seta 33‒35 (35) μm long; labium with 4 pairs of setae, longest seta 140‒164 (155) μm long. Spiracles moderately large; anterior peritreme 111‒115 (115) μm wide, posterior peritreme 115‒128 (123) μm wide. Legs well developed (Fig. 2O), segmentation between tibia and tarsus obscure; total length of metathoracic leg 685‒690 (688) μm (coxa 108‒113 (111) μm, trochanter+femur 250‒257 (255) μm, tibia+tarsus 300‒306 (303) μm, claw 17‒19 (18) μm). Setal distribution on hind leg: coxa with 3 setae, longest about 60‒65 (63) μm long; trochanter with 3, longest about 65‒70 (65) μm; femur with 2, tibia + tarsus with 6; tarsal digitules similar, both much longer than claw, each about 45‒50 (45) μm long; claw without a denticle, claw digitules similar, each about 28.5‒32.5 (29.5) μm long.
Remarks: Adult female Marsipococcus brideliae sp. n. can be easily separated from those of M. marsupialis as it lacks both ventral multilocular disc pores and dorsal preopercular pores (both present in M. marsupialis). Marsipococcus brideliae is also easily distinguished from M. christopheri, by having (character states of M. christopheri given in parenthesis): (i) body 7.3‒7.5 mm long (4.6‒4.9 mm long); (ii) anal plates 237‒245 μm long (150‒165 μm long); (iii) antennae seven segmented (six segmented); (iv) ventral tubular ducts present in a group on either side of genital opening (ventral tubular ducts absent); (v) with a total of only 3 pale radial lines on head and only 5 on each side of abdomen (with a total of 7 radial lines on head and 7 on each side of abdomen); (vi) many more marginal setae, numbering 142‒145 on each side of abdomen (67‒75 on each side of abdomen). Marsipococcus brideliae is very close to M. ulubendulensis but can be distinguished by (character states of M. ulubendulensis given in parenthesis): (i) body apices rounded (obviously pointed); (ii) ventral tubular ducts each with an inner ductule and terminal gland (ventral tubular ducts each lacking an inner ductule and terminal gland); (iii) marginal setae more abundant, with 142‒145 on each side of abdomen (72‒76 on each side of abdomen); (iv) each mesocoxa and metacoxa not associated with several ventral setae (each associated with several ventral setae); and (v) dorsal pores all of one type (of two types).
Etymology: The species name is derived from the host plant generic name “ Bridelia ”.
description: Published as part of Deng, Min & Xing, Jichun, 2024, First record of the genus Marsipococcus Cockerell & Bueker (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from China, with description of a new species, pp. 439-445 in Zootaxa 5433 (3) on pages 440-444, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5433.3.10, http://zenodo.org/record/10954146