Platylecanium cyperi Takahashi, 1950

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 : 164-167

Platylecanium cyperi Takahashi

Platylecanium cyperi Takahashi, 1950: 59 ; Hodgson 2023: 558.

Material examined

Lectotype and paralectotypes: MALAYSIA: upper label: Host - / Cyperus [with an additional little round label stating Type, and another oblong label stating: Pres. by / Comm. Inst. Ent. / B.M. 1953‒812]; bottom label: Platy- / lecanium / cyperi / Takahashi / 2.iv.1943 / Kuala / Lumpur / R . Takahashi (1/3 adff, all mature and heavily stained, all in fair condition) ( NHML) .

Other paralectotypes as previous (1/6 adff, NHML). Almost all specimens have some damage to the venter and most specimens with well-developed nymphs inside .

Note. Data taken from 5 specimens, not always the same five, depending on whether a structure was visible. Description is basically similar to that of Hodgson (2023).

Unmounted material. “Dark yellowish brown when dry. Body elliptic or elongate oval, flattened, not pointed at both ends, strongly sclerotized” ( Takahashi 1950).

Slide-mounted adult female ( Fig. 5 ). Body elongate-oval, large, 6.0–7.0 mm long, 2.3–3.0 mm wide; anal cleft possibly fused, about 1/6 th of body length; stigmatic clefts distinct.

Dorsum. Derm apparently quite thick (heavily stained) apart from an unstained fingerlike membranous ray extending medially from each stigmatic cleft (each about 750–800 µm long). Derm without any distinct sclerotisation around anal plates, but with a strong, rather deep sclerotisation at base of each stigmatic cleft. Dorsal areolations arranged as follows: small pale cell-like areas visible at high magnification (see Fig. 5 ) in a broad submarginal band 250–650 µm wide, arranged in radial lines or blocks; also in a line on each side of anal plates. Derm with reticulation plates arranged in rows along body, with 7 (8?) longitudinal rows of reticulation plates across dorsµm, and perhaps 11 reticulation plates in a medial line between anal plates and anterior margin; with 52 around entire margin. Margin with 13 marginal reticulation points between anterior stigmatic clefts and, on each side, 4 between stigmatic clefts and 13 on abdomen. Positions of dorsal setae and pores usually only indicated by pale areas in derm but, when visible, dorsal setae small, possibly parallel-sided and rather blunt, each about 5–6 µm long, about 1.5x width of setal socket; frequent; representing main delineator of reticulate pattern. Clear areas ( Fig. 5A ): with 4 on each side, each apparently lacking preopercular pores. Dorsal pores probably all microducts, each minute, frequent along reticulation lines but more randomly distributed than dorsal setae. Anal plates longer than their combined widths, 195–210 µm long, combined widths 140–160 µm; all anal plate margins fairly straight; setal distribution unclear but probably with at least 2 short setae on each inner margin near apex, each 5–7 µm long, plus a similar apical seta; also with 1 or 2 small pores on dorsal surface.Anogenital fold with 1 pair (one specimen with 2 pairs) of very short setae on anterior margin, each about 3 µm long; plus another short seta about half-way along each lateral margin. Anal tube quite long; anal ring bearing perhaps 3 pairs of setae. Eyespots about 30 µm wide, situated away from margin, about halfway to a point dorsad to each scape.

Margin not crenulated. Marginal setae finely setose and short, each 15-20 μm long*, mostly curved posteriorly; rather sparse, often in groups of 2 or 3 near each marginal reticulation point, with 48–55 between anterior stigmatic clefts and, on each side, 18–25 setae between clefts and 39–44 on abdomen. Stigmatic clefts each about 75-85 μm deep, narrow near margin but broadening inwardly, each outer margin of cleft with 1 or 2 marginal setae; base of each cleft heavily sclerotised, each sclerotisation about 40–50 μm deep; each cleft with 3 stout spinose setae, each parallel sided with a blunt apex; median spine usually longest but often all subequal, each 40–65 μm long. Anal cleft possibly fused.

Venter. Derm entirely membranous. Multilocular disc-pores, each 6–7 μm wide with 10–12 outer loculi, restricted to dense groups on abdominal segments VII and VI, with 25–29 on either side of segment VII and 8‒12 medially in segment VI, plus groups of 24‒38 extending posteriorly. Spiracular disc-pores, each about 3 μm wide, with 5 or 6 loculi, present in narrow bands 1–3 pores wide between each spiracle and margin, with perhaps 13–28 in each band; with none apparently extending medially over spiracles. Ventral microducts minute, each perhaps 0.7 μm wide; distribution uncertain, possibly present throughout. Ventral setae sparse; pairs of long setae present medially in segment VII only, each seta about 30–35 μm long; inter-antennal setae apparently absent.Antennae very reduced, each 45–60 μm long with segmentation obscure, and setae restricted to apical three segments. Clypeolabral shield small, about 105–130 μm long. Spiracles small, width of each peritreme 45–55 μm. Legs apparently entirely absent.

* Note that the lengths for the marginal setae given in Hodgson (2023) are incorrect.

Comments. Whilst the material studied here was in poor condition, adult female P. cyperi can be diagnosed based on the following combination of character-states: (i) body elongate, rounded at both ends; (ii) dorsum with a distinct band of areolations submarginally; (iii) anal plates more than 2 times longer than width of a single plate; (iv) each anal plate without a cleft on underside of inner margin; (v) margin not crenulated; (vi) marginal setae much longer than dorsal setae; (vii) preopercular pores apparently absent; (viii) each stigmatic cleft with 3 long, narrow stigmatic spines, not nearly reaching margin; (ix) each stigmatic cleft with 1 or 2 marginal setae along outer margin; (x) multilocular disc-pores restricted to abdominal segments VII and VI; (xi) legs apparently absent, and (xii) antennae very reduced, with setae on only apical three segments.

In having: (i) a non-crenulated margin; (ii) body more than 2 times longer than broad; (iii) only 3 long stigmatic spines in each cleft, and (iv) short antennae, P. cyperi is somewhat like P. dendrobii , described as new below, but it (i) apparently lacks preopecular pores (present on P. dendrobii ); (ii) has many more marginal setae–usually 2 associated with each reticulation point ( P. dendrobii only has 1 associated with each reticulation point); (iii) the stigmatic spines do not extend out of the stigmatic cleft (median stigmatic spine extends out to margin in P. dendrobii ), and (iv) the dorsal areolations are differently arranged (compare Figs 5 & 6 ).

Platylecanium cyperi is currently only known from Malaysia off Cyperus sp. ( Cyperaceae ).

Figures

FIGURE 5. Platylecanium cyperi Takahashi, adult female, where A = clear area.

FIGURE 6. Platylecanium dendrobii Hodgson, sp. nov., adult female.