Platylecanium eastopi Hodgson, 2025

Hodgson, Chris, 2025, Revision of the soft scale genus Platylecanium (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae), with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 5646 (2), pp. 151-198 : 169-171

Platylecanium eastopi Hodgson , sp. nov.

Material examined

SARAWAK: 1 slide with 2 specimens: left label: Platylecanium / eastopi / Hodgson / Holotype and paratype; right label: SARAWAK / G. Mulu Nat. Park / Long Pala / alternate leaves / 18.vi.1978 / V. F. Eastop coll. / No 16 252 / CIE A. 10642 (1/2 quite mature adff, fairly good; holotype (here designated) specimen nearest species label) ( NHML) .

Unmounted material. Unknown.

Slide-mounted adult female ( Fig. 7 ). Body elongate and strongly asymmetrical on both dorsum and venter; small, length 2.8‒3.0 mm, width 1.25‒1.3 mm; anal cleft short, about 1/9 th of body length.

Dorsum. Derm with a broad unsclerotised marginal area taking up about half body width, and a quite strongly sclerotised broad medial strip; also with a heavily sclerotised ring around each eyespot and strong sclerotisation on inner margin of each stigmatic cleft. Reticulation plates and reticulation lines very obscure but, based on the number of groups of marginal setae on margin, probably with 13 marginal reticulation points between anterior stigmatic clefts and, on each side, 4 between stigmatic clefts and 13 on abdomen. With no clear areolations. With a distinct membranous ray arising from each stigmatic cleft, extending medially to approximately dorsad to spiracles. Dorsal setae very short, each 4‒6 μm long (much shorter than a marginal seta), setose, mostly distinctly curved, each set in a socket about 4 μm wide; very sparse but those present submarginally frequently each raised on a distinct fleshy base, with seta on apex; setae most abundant near margin and very scarce or absent medially. Clear areas present as in diagnosis but rather obscure, located on margin of sclerotised medial strip; possibly lacking associated preopercular pores. Dorsal pores not visible submarginally, only indicated by small unsclerotised spots in medial band of sclerotisation, each 1‒2 μm wide; as only occasionally present near clear areas, probably all microducts. Anal plates each 103‒113 μm long, combined width about 96 μm; together almost quadrate, with anterior and posterior margins subequal in length; each plate with 4 setae distributed as in diagnosis, and without small pores; underside of each plate mildly thickened underneath along inner margin and with a strongly sclerotised posterior margin. Anogenital fold with 1 pair of short fine setae on anterior margin, 2 pairs along each lateral margin and 1 seta at posterior end of each apodeme. Eyespots each approximately round, located away from margin on dorsum; maximum width about 25 μm.

Margin. Margin distinctly crenulated, most noticeable near clefts. Marginal setae all short, each about 8‒10 μm long (much longer than a dorsal seta), and finely setose, mostly slightly bent, mainly present singly or in pairs along margin, with 26‒31 between anterior stigmatic clefts, and each side with 7 or 8 setae between stigmatic clefts, and 19‒24 setae along abdominal margin. Stigmatic clefts quite deep, each with outer margins almost touching; inner part of cleft quite broad but short, with innermost margin strongly sclerotised, and with 3 stigmatic spines, median spine longest; length of median spine 35‒38 μm, each lateral spine 26‒33 μm long; no spines extending laterally as far as margin; clefts mainly without marginal setae on outer margins. Anal cleft with margins touching.

Venter. Multilocular disc-pores each 7‒9 μm wide and mostly with 10 loculi, present on either side of genital opening and on preceding segment only; very few, with, on each side: VII, 3‒5, and VI, 7‒12. Spiracular disc-pores, each about 3 μm wide with mainly 5 loculi, present in a narrow band between each spiracle and margin; number of pores in each band dependant on asymmetry, with as few as 8 on narrow side and up to 25 on broad side. Ventral microducts minute; distribution unclear but present near mouthparts and each spiracular disc-pore band. Ventral setae very scarce and short; interantennal setae and those on abdominal segments VII and VI not located. Antennae very reduced, appearing as a single rather triangular segment with no signs of segmentation; with 4 or 5 fleshy setae plus 2 setose setae on apex; total antennal length 26‒28 μm. Clypeolabral shield 96‒105 μm long. Spiracles small, width of each peritreme 21‒27 μm. Legs very reduced, each composed of a broad oval to circular base, 15‒26 μm wide, with a central claw about 5‒7 μm long; digitules absent.

Comments. Platylecanium eastopi sp. nov. can be diagnosed by the following combination of character-states: (i) body elongate (and asymmetric in shape); (ii) anal plates as long as their combined widths; (iii) each anal plate with anterior and posterior margin subequal in length; (iv) body margin crenulated; (v) marginal setae longer than dorsal setae; (vi) preopercular pores apparently absent; (vii) each stigmatic cleft with 3 narrow stigmatic spines, none reaching margin; (viii) multilocular disc-pores very few, restricted to abdominal segments VII and VI; (ix) legs present but very reduced, and (xii) antennae very reduced.

In having: (i) only 3 stigmatic spines in each cleft; (ii) short antennae; (iii) body elongate, clearly more than twice as long as wide; (iv) a crenulated margin, and (v) anal plates about as long as their combined widths, P. eastopi appears to be very similar to P. asymmetricum but it differs in numerous ways, particularly in: (i) the absence of a deep cleft on the underside of inner margin of each anal plate, and (ii) in the absence of preopercular pores. At the present time, P. eastopi is known only from the original collection off an unknown plant in Sarawak.

Name derivation. The species is named after Victor Eastop, the renowned aphidologist, who collected these specimens.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Platylecanium eastopi Hodgson, sp. nov., adult female.