Pulvinarisca greeni Joshi & Dubey, 2025

Pulvinarisca greeni Joshi & Dubey , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A1AB1463-8C8C-4D41-9F85-99F594670DAB

( Figs 3 View FIGURE 3 and 4 View FIGURE 4 )

Material examined: 93 specimens on 45 slides.

Holotype: adult ♀ encircled with a red permanent marker, on a slide together with 1 paratype adult ♀: INDIA, Andaman and Nicobar, Port Blair / Monoon longifolium Sonn. B. Xue & R.M.K. Saunders / 17.II.2021 / Anil K. Dubey leg. / [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /170221].

Other paratypes: all from INDIA, Andaman & Nicobar: 9 adult ♀♀ on 3 slides, Campbell Bay (7.0076° N, 93.9048° E), Bombax ceiba Burm.f. , 18.IV.2016, Sunil Joshi leg. [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /180416– 01–03] GoogleMaps ; 8 adult ♀♀ on 4 slides, same data except 16.V.2016 [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /160516–04–07] ; 5 adult ♀♀ on 3 slides, same data except 27.V.2016 [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /270516–08–10] ; 5 adult ♀♀ on 4 slides, Port Blair (11.6234° N, 92.7265° E), Monoon longifolium Sonn. B. Xue & R.M.K. Saunders , 17.II.2021, Anil Dubey leg. [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /170221–11–13] GoogleMaps ; 8 adult ♀♀ on 3 slides, same data except 02.III.2021 [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /020321–14–16] ; 7 adult ♀♀ on 4 slides, same data except 03.III.2021 [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /030321–17–20] ; 10 adult ♀♀ on 3 slides, same data except 20.IV.2021 [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /200421–21–23] ; 7 adult ♀♀ on 7 slides, same data except 16.IV.2021 [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /160421–24–30] ; 6 adult ♀♀ on 2 slides, Sippighat (11.6057° N, 92.6959° E), Areca catechu L. ( Arecaceae ), 21.III.2024, Sunil Joshi leg. [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /210324–31–32] GoogleMaps ; 7 adult ♀♀ on 2 slides, Sippighat (11.6057° N, 92.6959° E), Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels. ( Myrtaceae ), 21.III.2024, Sunil Joshi leg. [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /210324–33–34] GoogleMaps ; 9 adult ♀♀ on 3 slides, Sippighat (11.6057° N, 92.6959° E), Dioscorea communis (L.) Caddick & Wilkin ( Dioscoreaceae ), 21.III.2024, Sunil Joshi leg. [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /210324–35–37] GoogleMaps ; 3 adult ♀♀ on 1 slide, Sippighat (11.6057° N, 92.6959° E), Camonea umbellata (L.) A.R.Simões & Staples ( Convolvulaceae ), 21.III.2024, Sunil Joshi leg. [ICAR/NBAIR/COCCI/ Pulvinarisca /210324–38] GoogleMaps .

Non-type material: (Fig. 5): INDIA, Write Myo, South Andaman , 19.ix.1988, on wild plant, M. Yousuf leg., 7 adult ♀♀ on 6 slides .

Description

Unmounted material ( Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 ). Body elongate oval, fairly convex, rounded posteriorly and slightly tapered anteriorly ( Fig. 3B View FIGURE 3 ); brownish green in early instars but turning darker green with age. As nymph grows, a dark brown submedial line develops on each side, arising from the paler anal plates; these lines diverge anteriorly and then converge toward head, enclosing a pale yellowish lanceolate spinal area on dorsum ( Fig. 3A View FIGURE 3 ). As female matures further, dorsal derm, except for lanceolate middle area, becomes covered with mealy wax, giving a snowy white appearance ( Fig. 3B View FIGURE 3 ). During oviposition, venter of female secretes a long white ovisac, up to 1.2–1.3 times as long as body or more ( Fig. 3C View FIGURE 3 ); ovisac with a prominent median ridge and 5 or 6 obscure ridges on each side ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ). Eggs shiny pale yellow initially, later turning pinkish as embryos develop ( Fig. 3E View FIGURE 3 ). Male pupal test elongate, narrow, with submargin transparent and medial raised area opaque white ( Fig. 3B View FIGURE 3 ).

Slide-mounted adult female ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ) (n = 86). Body elongate oval, 5.8–6.6 mm long, 4.2–5.3 mm wide ( Fig. 4A View FIGURE 4 ), widest at abdomen, with slight but distinct indentation in each stigmatic area; anal cleft fairly short, about 1/6 th –1/7 th of body length.

Dorsum. Derm entirely membranous, with well-defined areolations throughout ( Fig. 4B View FIGURE 4 ). Setae quite small ( Fig. 4C View FIGURE 4 ), each 2–3 µm long, stoutly and sharply spinose, with broad basal-socket; sparse throughout but rather more numerous on posterior abdominal segments. With dorsal pores of 3 types: (i) a circular, heavily sclerotized, slightly sunken pore, sparsely present throughout, but largest and most frequent medially on 3 abdominal segments just anterior to anal plates (these are probably preopercular pores ( Fig. 4D View FIGURE 4 )); (ii) a bilocular pore of similar size ( Fig. 4E View FIGURE 4 ) present singly in center of each areolation, abundant throughout except absent from dorsal medial area between anal plates and level of mouthparts; and (iii) a small, moderately sclerotized, simple pore ( Fig. 4F View FIGURE 4 ) sparsely scattered throughout. Microducts ( Fig. 4G View FIGURE 4 ), each with sclerotized outer pore and a clearly visible inner ductule, distributed evenly throughout. Dorsal tubular ducts and tubercles absent. Anal plates together quadrate ( Fig. 4H View FIGURE 4 ), each plate 200–215 µm long and 70–80 µm wide, with posterolateral margin 120–140 µm long, slightly longer than anterolateral margin (100–120 µm long); inner margin 170–180 µm long. Anterior margins of both plates together generate a gap between plates that is connected by a triangular moderately sclerotized yoke, 35–40 µm long. Dorsal surface of each plate with ridges occupying 44–45% of area. Each anal plate with a single long stout apical seta, 130–140 µm long, with blunt apex; also with 3 stout setae with blunt apices along inner margin, each 80–130 µm long, the middle seta of which is situated slightly laterad to inner margin, giving it the appearance of a long discal seta ( Fig. 4H View FIGURE 4 ). Ano-genital fold ( Fig. 4I View FIGURE 4 ) anterior margin with 2 pairs of unequal curved flagellate setae, smaller setae each 55–62 µm long, longer setae each 90–100 µm long; and each lateral margin with 3 pairs of setae, each 50–125 µm long. Anal ring with 2 rows of pores and bearing 3 pairs of setae ( Fig. 4J View FIGURE 4 ).

Margin. Marginal setae each stoutly spinose, with distal part slightly curved and apex pointed ( Fig. 4K View FIGURE 4 ); each seta 70–90 µm long, with basal-socket well developed and quite deep, and with 1‒5 circular to oblong pores, each in a sclerotized rim ( Fig. 4 L View FIGURE 4 ). Marginal setae numbering 160–190 between anterior stigmatic clefts and, on each side, with 44–55 setae between anterior and posterior stigmatic clefts and 83–94 setae between posterior stigmatic cleft and anal cleft. Each stigmatic cleft containing 7 or 8 spines ( Fig. 4 M View FIGURE 4 ), with longest seta central. Stigmatic spines stouter than marginal setae; generally, they can be categorized into small, medium and long spines: small spines each 15–25 µm long, medium 35–47 µm long and longest spines each 66–75 µm long; longest stigmatic spines a little longer than shortest marginal setae. Eyespots situated near margin, prominent, each lens 28–32 µm wide.

Venter. Derm entirely membranous. Multilocular disc-pores each with 10 loculi ( Fig. 4N View FIGURE 4 ), abundant around genital opening and in medial areas of abdominal segments VI and V, and forming transverse single rows on posterior margins of segments VII, VI and V. Preceding segments with disc-pores only on mediolateral areas; pores also occasionally present laterad to each metacoxa ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 ). Spiracular disc-pores mostly each with 5–7 loculi ( Fig. 4O View FIGURE 4 ), forming band mostly 1 pore wide between each spiracle and margin; a few more present around each spiracle orifice and by each stigmatic cleft; with 40–55 disc-pores in each anterior band and 56–67 in each posterior band. Ventral microducts ( Fig. 4P View FIGURE 4 ) mainly present in submarginal area, rather less frequent medially, probably absent medially from most posterior abdominal segments. With tubular ducts of 2 types: (i) a duct with outer ductule rather thin and 15–17 µm long, a cup-shaped invagination and inner ductule fairly long (14–15 µm), ending with a well-developed terminal gland ( Fig. 4Q View FIGURE 4 1 View FIGURE 1 ), present medially on all abdominal and thoracic segments but absent medially from head; and (ii) a duct similar to (i) but with outer ductule shorter, 11–12 µm long, inner ductule 10–11 µm long and a well-developed terminal gland ( Fig. 4Q View FIGURE 4 2 View FIGURE 2 ), forming a dense submarginal band on abdomen, a less dense submarginal band between spiracular disc-pore bands, and sparser on head and prothorax. Ventral setae: a single pair of long pregenital setae, each 110–160 µm long, present on each of 4 pregenital segments; medial areas of anterior abdominal and all thoracic segments each with 3 or 4 pairs of moderate-sized setae; inter-antennal setae numbering 4 pairs, measuring 25–30, 30–45, 80–90 and 100–125 µm respectively; with 2 pairs of setae, 100–125 and 50–60 µm long respectively, just anterior to each meso- and metathoracic coxa, and 4 pairs (measuring 30–40, 55–60, 87–102 and 135–142 µm long respectively) just anterior to mesocoxae. Submarginal setae each 25–27 µm long ( Fig. 4R View FIGURE 4 ), numbering about 7–12 on each side between anterior and posterior spiracular clefts. Spiracles ( Fig. 4S View FIGURE 4 ) normally developed; peritreme widths: anterior 74–84 µm, posterior 90–102 µm. Legs well developed, each with a tibio-tarsal articulation and large articulatory sclerosis ( Fig. 4T View FIGURE 4 ); each claw with a distinct denticle on broadest basal part; claw digitules both broad, shorter than slender knobbed tarsal digitules. Measurements of metathoracic leg (in µm): coxa 118–128, trochanter 75–95, femur 100–115, tibia 189–195, tarsus 100–105, tarsal digitules each 80–90, and claw digitules each 58–60. Antenna ( Fig. 4U View FIGURE 4 ) with 8 segments; total length 395–450 µm. Segment lengths (in µm): segment I, 45–50; II, 62–70; III longest, 110–115; IV, 58–65; V, 50–55; VI, 30–35; VII shortest, 20–25; and segment VIII, 30–35 long. Setal distribution on antennal segments: segment I with 3 setose setae; II with 2 setose; III with 2 setose; IV with 2 setose; V with 2 setose; VI with 1 fleshy seta; VII with 1 fleshy; and VIII with 3 fleshy and 4 setose setae. Longest seta on antenna 200‒220 µm long, situated on segment II. Labium 30–35 µm long and 60–65 µm wide.

Comments. The non-type material from Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, examined during this study consists of seven females mounted on six slides (Fig. 5) labelled with the manuscript name “ Pulvinaria singularis ” by M. Yousuf and S.A. Shafee in 1988, but they never described it or made any type designation (note that citation of this name here is not intended for nomenclatural purposes). The species on these slides appears to be P. greeni , described as new above.

Pulvinarisca greeni is similar to P. serpentina in possessing strongly spinose marginal setae; but P. greeni can be distinguished (characters of P. serpentina given in parentheses) by having: (i) each spiracular cleft containing 7 or 8 stigmatic spines (3–6); (ii) preopercular pores few, arranged irregularly in a medial group (abundant, arranged in two divergent lines); (iii) multilocular disc-pores each with 10 loculi (7 or 8 loculi); (iv) with 2 types of ventral tubular ducts (3 types); (v) anal plate with one apical seta (3 apical setae), 2 inner margin setae (1), and 1 seta situated near inner margin of anal plate (absent); and (vi) anogenital fold with 2 setae on anterior margin (absent) and three setae (5–8) on each lateral margin. Pulvinarisca greeni can be easily separated from all other species of Pulvinarisca by possession of exceptionally long anal plate setae.

Biological notes. Pulvinarisca greeni was first collected from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in September 1988, infesting an undetermined wild plant, by Yousuf and Shafee but they did not describe the species. It was collected again in 2016, on Bombax ceiba ; in 2021, it was found on M. longifolium ; and in 2024, it was collected on Areca catechu (arecanut), Syzygium cumini (jamun), Dioscorea communis and Camonea umbellata . This suggests that P. greeni has been present in these islands for more than 35 years and is now spreading and infesting a variety of host-plants. Arecanut and jamun are grown extensively in various parts of India but the scale insect has not been found in any of the states surveyed during the last 15 years, suggesting that P. greeni is restricted to the islands and has not reached mainland India yet. Pulvinarisca greeni was attended by the ant O. smaragdina on all its hosts. No parasitoids or predators were found to be associated with the scale insect during the present study.

Etymology. The species is named in honor of Edward Earnest Green, an English entomologist who worked extensively on Sri Lankan and Indian scale insects.