Neotachardiella nangapire Kondo, Peronti & Pacheco da Silva, 2025

Kondo, Takumasa, Silva, Vitor Cezar Pacheco Da, Júnior, Alberto Luiz Marsaro, Takahashi, Satomi Moriyama & Peronti, Ana Lúcia Benfatti Gonzalez, 2025, Redescription of Tachardiella ourinhensis Hempel, 1937 (Hemiptera: Kerriidae) and its transfer to Neotachardiella gen. nov., with descriptions of two new species of Neotachardiella on Myrtaceae from Brazil and Uruguay, Zootaxa 5588 (2), pp. 269-286 : 281-284

Neotachardiella nangapire Kondo, Peronti & Pacheco da Silva , sp. nov.

( Figs 2F, 2G, 2I and 6 )

Proposed common names. Español: Insecto laca de la pitanga; Portuguese: Cochonilha laca da pitanga; English: Pitanga fruit lac insect.

Material studied. Holotype: Adult female, slide labeled as; “ Neotachardiella / nangapire Kondo , / Peronti, Pacheco da Silva / Guabiroba- Campomanesia / xanthocarpa ( Myrtaceae ) / Sample No. 846 / Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul / Passo Fundo, Sample 47- 11 / August 27, 2011 / Alberto L. Marsaro Junior ”, 1(1 adult female), Catalogue No. 1000 ( UFSCar).

Paratypes: BRAZIL: Rio Grande do Sul, Passo Fundo, ex Psidium guajava , 27.vii.2011, No. 842, 46/11, 5(5 adult females), coll. A.L. Marsaro Junior, Catalogue No. FCE-HE 0761-0765 ; same data except: No. 842. 45/11, 2(4 adult females) + wet sample in 2 tubes, Catalogue No. 1001 (UFSCar) ; same data except: 19.viii.2023, 10(25 adult females), Catalogue No. FCE-HE 0768-0777 ; same data except: 10.xiii.2023, 2(6 adult females), Catalogue No. FCE-HE 0778-0779 ; same data except: No. 1500, Sample 01/21, June 06, 2021, 2 slides (4 adult females) + wet sample in 1 tube (UFSCar) ; same data except: ex Campomanesia xanthocarpa , 27.vii.2011, No. 846, 47/11, 6(7 adult females), Catalogue No. 1002 (UFSCar) ; same data except: 2(2 adult females), Catalogue No. FCE-HE 0766-0767 ; same data except: 29.viii.2022, No. 1501, 03/22, 2 (4 adult females + wet sample in 1 tube, Catalogue No. 1003 (UFSCar); same data except: ex Eugenia uniflora , 19.viii.2023, 7(20 adult females), Catalogue No. FCE-HE 0780-0786 .

Adult female

Unmounted material ( Figs 2F and G ). Resinous test orange to orange-brown, often appearing brown when covered in sooty mold; tests of adjacent females becoming fused when crowded on infested twigs and branches of host. Test of individual specimens (not fused) hemispherical, often with 12 well-developed marginal lobes, each lobe rounded, resembling a pitanga ( E. uniflora ) fruit ( Fig. 2H ); lobes fused in older specimens, which become almost spherical; first-instar test incorporated into adult test on mid-dorsum, inconspicuous; adult test also with a circular opening nearby on an elevated area just posterior to first-instar test. Dimensions of adult female test: young adult female 2.7–3.1 mm long, 2.2–3.0 mm wide, 1.3–1.7 mm high (n = 10 specimens). Resinous text texture very hard, brittle and shiny. Often with white waxy filaments projecting from dorsum of test, corresponding to locations of brachial plates and anal tubercle.

Slide-mounted specimens ( Fig. 6 ) (described from 40 specimens in good condition). Adult female broadly pyriform, often with a constriction at level of anterior stigmatic areas. Body 1.0–3.2 (holotype 1.8) mm long, 1.0–3.3 (holotype 1.4) mm wide ( Fig. 6 ).

Dorsum. Derm membranous. Dorsal setae and macroducts absent. Microducts scarce, scattered; diameter of each duct rim about 2.0 µm. Spermatoid ducts each about 6.0 µm wide at widest point, scattered throughout dorsum. Brachia long and membranous ( Fig. 2I ), length when fully developed about 4x length of a brachial plate. Brachial plates oval to broadly oval, each 158–188 µm long, 118–150 µm wide; brachial crater opening located towards body margin, with 2 or 3 (usually 3) setae on anterior margin and 2 or 3 (usually 2) setae on posterior margin (high magnification needed to detect); brachial crater: pore area width 8−11, pore area length 14−22. Brachial pores each 4−6 µm wide, often with a thick sclerotized rim, loculi not visible in most pores, probably quinquelocular. Ratio of length of brachial plates to length of first marginal duct cluster (mdc-i) 1.5–2.8: 1. Anterior spiracles situated on dorsum, large, each surrounded by a spiracular sclerotization, 130−253 µm long, 108−160 µm wide; width of each anterior spiracular peritreme 30–45 µm; spiracular pores similar in structure to brachial pores, but with a less-sclerotized rim, loculi in each pore usually not visible, each pore 4−6 µm wide; numerous (ca. 55–120 pores) around each spiracle. Anal tubercle tapering, highly sclerotized, 233–268 µm long; pre-anal plate 93–133 µm long, 188–320 µm wide; supra-anal plate 125–173 µm long, 173–218 µm wide; no setae observed on pre-anal or supra-anal plates; pre-anal and supra-anal plates situated on a membranous tubular extension which is about 2.5x or longer than anal tubercle. Dorsal spine well developed, 95–138 µm long, 50–75 µm wide at base; dorsal spine duct of dendritic type. Anal fringe entire, with lobes bifurcate or spiniform (innermost lobes always bifurcate); 4 innermost lobes longest, each 55–105 µm long; 2 lobes on each lateral margin shorter, straight or bent; penultimate lobes (= lobes on each side anterior to outermost lobes) bifurcate or spiniform, each 53–95 µm long; outermost lobe shortest, 43–65 µm long, with a pointed apex. Anal ring 100–115 µm wide, divided into 4 separate sections, bearing a total of 10 setae, each seta 163–263 µm long, tips of setae surpassing anal fringe. Eyespots absent.

Venter. Derm membranous; mid areas of venter posterior to mouthparts with microtrichia. Antennae small, each 70–108 µm long, 35–50 μm wide at base, with segmentation poorly defined, about 3 or 4 segmented; each segment membranous; fleshy setae totaling 3–5, each 11–26 µm long, present only on terminal segment when 3 segmented, or on last 2 segments when 4 segmented (with 1 fleshy seta on penultimate segment, and other setae on terminal segment); slender setae usually totaling 2 or 3, present only on terminal segment, each 5–7 µm long. Clypeolabral shield 128–155 µm long, 105–120 µm wide. Labium 1 segmented, 63–103 µm long, 65–75 µm wide; bearing 4 pairs of setae. Legs each reduced to a remnant claw; each claw 9–50 µm long, prothoracic claw remnant smallest, sometimes absent or not detected, metathoracic claw remnant largest. Canella composed of a linear group of 27–49 pores extending from anterior spiracles towards mouthparts; canellar pores each 4.0–5.0 µm wide, loculi on pores very hard to detect, but with about 5 loculi (only visible under 100x objective). Ventral setae slender, each 5.0–8.0 µm long, present in pairs on mid-areas of abdomen, about 1 pair present anterior to each meso- and metathoracic leg, and submarginally around marginal duct clusters, often with some setae found inside marginal duct clusters. Posterior spiracles much smaller than anterior spiracles, each spiracular peritreme 26–35 µm wide; with 7–11 (mostly 8) pores alongside anterior margin of spiracle, each pore quinquelocular, 4.0–5.0 µm wide. Marginal duct clusters (mdc) each oval to elongate oval; number and distribution as for genus; length and width of each marginal duct cluster (in µm), the number of macroducts in each cluster, and the number of spermatoid ducts in each submarginal group as follows: mdc-i: 78–108 long, 70–95 wide, with 7–10 macroducts and 7–29 spermatoid ducts; mdc-ii: 95–125 long, 78–110 wide, with 6–10 macroducts and 10–33 spermatoid ducts; mdc-iii: 113–160 long, 85–120 wide, with 6–10 macroducts and 20–37 spermatoid ducts; mdc-iv: 110–150 long, 88–123 wide, with 6–9 macroducts and 17–39 spermatoid ducts; mdc-v: 115–153 long, 90–125 wide, with 7–11 macroducts and 18–36 spermatoid ducts; and mdc-vi: 93–135 long, 90–125 wide, with 5–10 macroducts and 11–35 spermatoid ducts; rim of each macroduct 4−6 µm wide. Spermatoid ducts similar in size and shape to those on dorsum, scattered, densely packed in each mdc. Ventral duct clusters (vdc) subcircular to elongate, composed of large-sized microducts (lsm), each 3.0−4.0 µm wide, situated medial to each pair of marginal duct clusters; number of large-sized microducts in each ventral duct cluster as follows: vdc-1, 23–50; vdc-2, 26–67; vdc-3, 32–70; and vdc-4, 42–82; vdc-4 represented as an elongate cluster which is usually constricted or subdivided into 2 (rarely 3) parts. Microducts present, similar to those on dorsum, each with rim about 2.0 µm wide, present marginally and submarginally on venter. Perivulvar pores and perivulvar pore clusters absent.

Morphological variation. Not detected.

Notes. The adult female of N. nangapire most closely resembles that of N. ourinhensis . However, they are readily distinguishable by the shorter brachia and dorsal spine pedicel in N. nangapire . These structures are approximately equal in length to a single brachial plate, whereas in N. ourinhensis , they are roughly four times the length of a brachial plate. Furthermore, the resinous test of individual N. nangapire specimens typically exhibits 12 well-developed lobes, creating an appearance reminiscent of a pitanga fruit. In contrast, N. ourinhensis possesses poorly developed lobes, and its resinous test never resembles a pitanga fruit.

Etymology. The species is named after the Guarani word “ñangapiré ”, which refers to the pitanga fruit, Eugenia uniflora , the shape and color of which the adult female lac insect resembles ( Figs 2F and 2H ). The epithet nangapire is used here as a noun in apposition.

Host plants. Myrtaceae : Campomanesia xanthocarpa , E. involucrata , E. uniflora and P. guajava . All specimens were collected on the twigs of their host plant.

Damage. Due to its feeding habit as a sap-sucking phytophagous insect, this scale insect causes direct damage to the host plants by extracting the phloem sap. Infestations of the scale insect have been observed exclusively on branches. Because of their feeding, the scale insects excrete a substantial amount of “honeydew,” a sugary substance that serves as a substrate and food source for the growth of dark-colored saprophytic fungi ( Capnodium spp. ), commonly known as sooty molds. These fungi block light and air from the leaves, hindering respiration and photosynthesis, leading to the premature shedding of these plant organs. Sooty molds also develop on fruits, marring their appearance and probably affecting their potential development. In cases of heavy infestations, apical branches have been observed to become defoliated and desiccated or dead.

Associated insects. Ants of the species Camponotus mus Roger ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ) have been observed associated with N. nangapire , feeding on the honeydew they produce.

Distribution. Neotropical realm: Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Neotachardiella spp. A. Type material of Tachardiella ourinhensis Hempel, housed in IBSP. B. Adult females of Neotachardiella charruarum sp. nov. on twig of pitanga, Eugenia uniflora. C. Old specimens of N. charruarum on twig of Myrrhinium atropurpureum var. octandrum. D. First-instar nymphs of N. charruarum on Eugenia uniflora. E. Adult females of N. charruarum after removal of resinous tests; Left specimen, dorsal view: note the short brachia (dark spots next to each spiracular cleft); Right specimen, ventral view. F. Adult females of Neotachardiella nangapire sp. nov. on twig of Campomanesia xanthocarpa. G. Old specimens of N. nangapire with less pronounced lobes. H. A pitanga fruit, Eugenia uniflora. I. Adult females of N. nangapire after removal of resinous tests: Top, lateral view: note very long brachia and pedicel of dorsal spine. Bottom, dorsal view. (Photographss by: T. Kondo (A, C, H, I), V.C. Pacheco da Silva, (B, D, E), and A.L. Marsaro Júnior (F, G)).

FIGURE 6. Neotachardiella nangapire Kondo, Peronti & Pacheco da Silva, sp. nov., adult female.Abbreviations: ant, antenna; antsp, anterior spiracle; ar, anal ring; at, anal tubercle; brp/spp, brachial pore/spiracular pore; brpl, brachial plate; dspi, dorsal spine; lsm, large-sized microduct; macd, macroduct; mdc, marginal duct cluster; mic, microduct; papl, pre-anal plate; pol, post-oral lobe; postsp, posterior spiracle; prl, pre-oral lobe; spanpl, supra-anal plate; spd, spermatoid duct; spp/canp, spiracular pore/canellar pore; vdc, ventral duct cluster; vset, ventral setae.