Endernia despoliata Danzig 1971

Xu, Han, Ning, Mengwei & Wu, San-An, 2022, Descriptions of all the female developmental stages of Endernia despoliata Danzig a gall-inducing pit scale (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Asterolecaniidae), Zootaxa 5115 (3), pp. 409-418 : 410-417

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5115.3.6
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:59759D92-1ED9-4C2C-AE69-DC76BB9497FE
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17627353
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03C687EF-4416-FFF5-FF54-FB4FFA9AFB73
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Endernia despoliata Danzig 1971
status

Treatment

Endernia despoliata Danzig 1971: 1414.

Material examined. CHINA, Liaoning Province, Haicheng city, on twigs of Quercus mongolica , leg. Tianlin Chen & San-an Wu; 10.v.2021, 10 adult females ; 4.vii.2021, 5 adult females; 17.v.2021, 5 first-instar nymphs; 28.v.2021, 3 second-instar nymphs; and 2.vii.2021, 2 third-instar nymphs.

Updated description

Adult female ( Figs 1 A, B View FIGURE 1 ; 2 View FIGURE 2 )

Appearance in life. Gall ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ) subcircular with a small opening at the top, the tissue near the opening woodier than other parts of the gall; body of adult female enclosed in gall. The gall opening is closed by the exuviae of the second-instar nymph. Adult female in gall subcircular, 1.00– 1.25 mm long, 0.9–1.0 mm wide; yellowish when young, later becoming yellowish green to red.

Details of slide-mounted specimen. Antennae ( Fig. 2A View FIGURE 2 ) highly reduced, each 1-segmented or inconspicuously 2-segmented with 2 fleshy setae and a slender seta apically; eyes absent; mouthparts developed; legs absent. With 2 pairs of thoracic spiracles. Anal ring ( Fig. 2B View FIGURE 2 ) situated on venter, triangular, without pores, but bearing a pair of small setae situated just anterolateral to opening.

Dorsum. Tubular ducts ( Fig. 2C View FIGURE 2 ), each about 25 μm long and 2.5–3.5 μm wide, densely distributed; simple disc pores ( Fig. 2D View FIGURE 2 ), each about 3 μm in diameter, sparsely present between tubular duct openings.

Margin. Without a marginal row of 8-shaped pores and simple disc pores, but each side with 3 or 4 quinquelocular pores situated near posterior end; anal lobes slightly developed, each with 1 inner marginal seta, 3–5 outer marginal setae, and an apical seta about 60 μm long.

Venter. Each spiracle closely associated with 6–10 quinquelocular pores ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ), each about 4 μm in diameter, and frequently 1 trilocular pore ( Fig. 2F View FIGURE 2 ), about 3 μm in diameter, situated near atrium. Each spiracular furrow with 3–5 (occasionally 9) quinquelocular pores sparsely distributed ( Fig. 2E View FIGURE 2 ). Short tubular ducts ( Fig. 2G View FIGURE 2 ) each about 3 μm long and 2 μm wide, present around mouthparts. Multilocular pores ( Fig. 2H View FIGURE 2 ), each about 5 μm in diameter and with 10 outer loculi, arranged in 5 transverse bands across medial area of abdomen. Vulva not obvious, surrounded by small setae ( Fig. 2I View FIGURE 2 ).

Eggs ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 )

Appearance in life. Each egg oval, about 0.15 mm long, yellowish, laid under abdominal venter of adult female.

First-instar nymph ( Figs 1D View FIGURE 1 ; 3 View FIGURE 3 )

Appearance in life. No gall developed at this stage. Insect body yellowish, oval, about 0.25 mm long and 0.15 mm wide.

Details of slide-mounted specimen. Antennae each 6-segmented, terminal segment longest, with 2 long setae; antenna about 67.5 μm long, usual segment lengths (in μm): I, 20; II, 12.5; III, 7.5; IV, 10; V, 7.5; VI, 10. Eyes present on margin of body; mouthparts developed. Legs developed, coxae strong, fore- and hind coxae each with 1 long seta, middle coxa with 2 long setae; femur with 1 long seta; tibia apically with 2 long setae; tarsus with a pair of digitules; claw slender, with a pair of digitules but without denticles. Anal ring ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ) triangular, with 2 anterolateral setae and no cells, situated on venter of abdominal apex; anal lobes slightly developed, each with 1 apical seta about 35 μm long.

Dorsum. 8-shaped pores ( Fig. 3B View FIGURE 3 ), each about 6 μm long and 3 μm wide, arranged in 2 sub-medial longitudinal rows each of 9 pores, total of 18.

Margin. 8-shaped pores, same size and structure as those on dorsum, present in a single marginal row numbering 14 on each side.

Venter. thoracic spiracles developed, each with 1 trilocular pore ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ) and 1 quinquelocular pore ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ) near opening; each trilocular pore about 3 μm in diameter, each quinquelocular pore about 4 μm in diameter. Simple disc pores ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ), each about 2 μm in diameter, present on sub-margin of abdominal segments I–VI, with 1 pair on each segment, forming a longitudinal row on each side.

Second-instar nymph ( Figs 1E View FIGURE 1 ; 4 View FIGURE 4 )

Appearance in life. Plant tissues around insect swelling to cover margins of body. Body yellowish and oval, 0.6 mm long, 0.45 mm wide.

Details of slide-mounted specimen. Antennae ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ) highly reduced, each 1 segmented with 2 fleshy setae. Eyes absent; mouthparts developed; legs absent; thoracic spiracles developed; anal ring ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ) triangular, without pores, on ventral apex of abdomen; anal lobes inconspicuous, each with a pair of apical setae and 1 pair of inner marginal small setae.

Dorsum. Simple disc pores ( Fig. 4C View FIGURE 4 ) sparsely scattered, each about 2 μm in diameter, numbering 10–14 on each side.

Margin. Quinquelocular pores ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 ) arranged in single row along body margin, numbering 51–63 on each side. 8-shaped pores ( Fig. 4E View FIGURE 4 ) each 7.5 μm long and 3 μm wide, forming a single row from anterior spiracles to abdominal apex, each side with 20–25 pores.

Venter. Each spiracular furrow containing 6–8 quinquelocular pores, each about 3 μm in diameter.

Third-instar nymph ( Figs 1F View FIGURE 1 ; 5 View FIGURE 5 )

Appearance in life. During this developmental stage the plant tissues proliferate and swell to completely enclose the third-instar nymph, leaving an opening at the top of the gall that is blocked by the exuviae of the secondinstar nymph. Gall of third-instar nymph subcircular, similar to that of adult female. Body of third-instar nymph similar to second-instar nymph, but subcircular, 0.9 mm long and 0.8 mm wide.

Details of slide-mounted specimen. Antennae ( Fig. 5A View FIGURE 5 ) highly reduced, each 1 segmented with 1 long and 1 short setae. Eyes absent; mouthparts developed; legs absent; thoracic spiracles developed; anal ring ( Fig. 5B View FIGURE 5 ) triangular, without pores but with 2 small anterolateral setae, situated on venter of abdominal apex; anal lobes slightly developed, each with a pair of apical setae and 1 pair of inner marginal small setae.

Dorsum. Simple disc pores ( Fig. 5C View FIGURE 5 ) sparsely scattered, each about 2 μm in diameter, numbering 10–16 pores on each side.

Margin. Quinquelocular pores ( Fig. 5D View FIGURE 5 ) arranged in single row along body margin, numbering 32–51 pores on each side. 8-shaped pores ( Fig. 5E View FIGURE 5 ), each 7.5 μm long and 3 μm wide, forming an interrupted single submarginal row from anterior spiracles to abdominal apex and numbering no more than 8 on each side of body.

Venter. Each spiracular furrow with 11–12 quinquelocular pores, each about 3 μm in diameter. Short tubular ducts ( Fig. 5F View FIGURE 5 ), each 3 μm long and 2 μm wide, present around mouthparts.

Key to all instars of female Endernia despoliata

1(0) Legs present; antennae each 6 segmented................................................... .. first-instar nymph

- Legs absent; antennae each with only 1 or 2 segments........................................................ 2

2(1) Dorsum with tubular ducts; 8-shaped pores absent.................................................. adult female

- Dorsum without tubular ducts; 8-shaped pores present....................................................... 3

3(2) 8-shaped pores numbering more than 20 on each side; venter without short ducts.................. second-instar nymph

- 8-shaped pores numbering no more than 8 on each side; venter with short ducts...................... third-instar nymph

Remarks

The morphology of the adult females of Endernia despoliata in the Chinese material largely agrees with Danzig’s (1971, 1980) descriptions, with a few differences ( Danzig’s records in parentheses): (1) the gall induced in the Chinese material is smoothly convex, not textured and convex as shown in Danzig (1980: figure 126); (2) adult female with a few quinquelocular pores on margin near posterior end (absent); and (3) the apical setae present on anal lobes (lacking). At our request, Dr Ilya Gavrilov-Zimin ( Zoological Museum, Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg, Russia) kindly examined the holotype and 5 paratypes of E. despoliata for us. He reported that, in female adult, the quinquelocular pores on the margin near the posterior end are present in two of the paratypes (2–5 pores from each side and 2 or 3 pores between the apical setae) but were not detected in the holotype and the other 3 paratypes because of the poor quality of the slide mounts; and that all the type specimens do have the apical setae. Danzig (1980) also illustrated the exuviae of a “late-stage female nymph”, showing the dorsum with marginal and sub-median rows of 8-shaped pores, but our third-instar specimens lack these pores; it seems likely that the exuviae of the “late-stage female nymph” Danzig examined was the exuviae of a first-instar nymph. This inference was confirmed also (Dr Ilya Gavrilov-Zimin, pers. comm., 11 February, 2022).

Biology

Endernia despoliata has one generation per year in Liaoning province. The adult females live in swollen galls on two-year-old twigs of Quercus mongolica . The gall ( Fig. 1A View FIGURE 1 ) has a sub-circular opening at the top and the vegetative tissue of the gall wall is woody; the lower part of the cavity is wide and the upper part is narrow; the adult female ( Fig. 1B View FIGURE 1 ) inside has its head facing downwards towards the plant stem and its rear end outwards, towards the gall opening. The female lays eggs ( Fig. 1C View FIGURE 1 ) beneath the venter of the abdomen in early May. After hatching, the firstinstar nymphs ( Fig. 1D View FIGURE 1 ) stay in the cavity for several days before climbing out of the opening at the top of the gall to seek a feeding site on a one-year-old twig in mid-May. The second-instar nymphs ( Fig. 1E View FIGURE 1 ) first occur in late May; the third-instar nymphs ( Fig. 1F View FIGURE 1 ) are found in early July. As the nymph feeds, the surrounding plant tissue gradually proliferates and eventually forms the gall that encases the body of the pit scale. The galls are densely packed on the branches, often in clusters. The new adult females are found in early August and hibernate in late September.