Pseudoazya massayo, Duarte-de-Mélo & Basílio & Moura Lima & Almeida, 2024

Pseudoazya massayo Duarte-de-Mélo & Almeida, sp. nov.

Figs 1 View Figure 1 , 3 View Figure 3

https://zoobank.org/ 170EAB97-4AC3-431D-B0D7-D1E46E188ED8

Diagnosis. Pseudoazya massayo sp. nov. resembles P. boliviana by one oval spot in each elytral disc and yellowish clypeal apex. Pseudoazya massayo sp. nov. can be distinguished from the latter by bluish iridescence in the elytra and spots; penis capsule with inner arm almost as long as wide; and apex of penis sinuous. Pseudoazya boliviana has greenish iridescence in the elytra, except on spots area; penis capsule with inner arm twice longer than wide; and apex of penis membranous.

Description. Male. Holotype. Length 2.48 mm, width 2.17 mm. Body dark, with light setae, oval, convex, two times longer than elytral height ( Fig. 1A, C, D View Figure 1 ). Dorsal tegument shiny, iridescent, with setae and punctations ( Fig. 1A View Figure 1 ). Elytra iridescence with two spots, one on each elytron, formed by dark setae ( Fig. 1A, C View Figure 1 ).

Head. Dorsal surface smooth, with slightly greenish dull glow, without iridescence. Antennae and mouthparts yellowish. Punctations with the same size and distant from each other by less than a diameter of a punctuation ( Fig. 1B, C View Figure 1 ).

Thorax. Pronotum with color similar of the head. Pronotal punctations with the same size and distant from each other by, at least, a diameter of a punctation. Ventral surface black, coxae and medial area of epipleura brownish. Prosternal punctation distant from each other by, at least, a diameter of the punctation. Mesosternal punctations in smaller number and size than the prosternal ones. Metasternal punctations with irregular size, distant from each other by, at least, a diameter of punctuation in ventral area, and by less than a diameter on the lateral area. Hipomera and epipleura with deep fovea to reception of femoral apex. Epipleura with small sparse puntactions. Mesosternum about half the longitudinal length of the prosternum ( Fig. 1A–D View Figure 1 ).

Elytra. Each elytron with an oval spot with dark setae on discal area. Spot oblique to the sutura, extending up to 2/5 of the sutural length, with anterior half next, and posterior half distant to the sutural margin. Sutural margin with only light setae along its entire length. Punctations bigger and denser than in the pronotum, distant from each other by less than a diameter of the punctuation ( Fig. 1A, D View Figure 1 ).

Abdomen. Ventrites yellowish. Punctations small and sparce on ventrite I; dense and distant from each other by, at least, a diameter of the punctation on medial area of ventrites II–IV; denser on ventrite V than the anterior ones. Ventrite VI hidden by ventrite V, emarginated ( Fig. 1E View Figure 1 ).

Genitalia. Tegmen 2.3 times longer than wide. Penis guide 3/4 of the length of parameres, with rounded sides in ventral view, slightly larger on medial area than on the base, apex acute. Parameres with sides narrowing gradually from the base to the rounded apex, with short setae along the margins, not extending beyond the height of the penis guide. Penis capsule with inner arm almost as long as wide, apex rounded, slightly angulated, and outer arm with convergent sides, covered by a membrane, 2.5 times longer than wide, with the same length as the inner arm. Penis apex bifid, sinuous ( Fig. 1G–I View Figure 1 ).

Female. Similar to male, except by ventrite VI, not emarginate ( Fig. 1F View Figure 1 ). Coxites subtriangular, with rounded apex, twice longer than wide ( Fig. 1J View Figure 1 ). Spermatheca apex as narrower as the ramus, slightly widened at the base of the cornu, narrowing to the apex; seven times longer than wide ( Fig 1K View Figure 1 ).

Type Material. HOLOTYPE: Alagoas “Maceió-AL\ 9-IV- -1991 -Lima, I.M.M” “folhas de\ Cordyline sp. \c/diaspidÍdeos”, [ DZUP/131915 View Materials ] ; PARATYPES: Pernambuco “ BRASIL, PE, Fernando de\ Noronha, Boldró \ 3°51’30”S – 32°25’50”W ”; “ 20-27.ii.2020 \ J.A. Rafael & M.S. Rafael ” “PFN-20-28.ii.20\ Alojamento\em coqueiro”, 1 specimen, [ INPA]; “Brasil, Pernambuco,\ Fernando de Noronha ,\ Boldró, 20-28.ii.2020,\ manual, Grossi, Rafael, \Limeira-de-Oliveira legs.”, 5 specimens, “ 2♂ ”;“ 3♀ ”, [ CERPE] GoogleMaps ; Alagoas “ Ipioca, Maceió-AL\18/01/96\ Lima, I.M. leg.”, “ Em: Aspidiotus destructor \ Em : \ Coqueiro ”; 9 specimens, [ DZUP 131924 View Materials , 131925 View Materials , 131927 View Materials , 131928 View Materials , 131929 View Materials , 131930 View Materials , 1♂, 131931,131932, 131934];“ Brasil , Alagoas,\ Maceió \ 02/III/1991 \ I.M.M. Lima leg.; “ Diaspididae ”, [ DZUP 131921 View Materials ] ; Bahia “ São Felipe-Ba\ Citros \M.branca, pulgão e\ Ortezia ”; “ Azyini ”, [ DZUP 327086 View Materials ] .

Distribution. Brazil: Alagoas, Pernambuco ( Fig. 3 View Figure 3 ).

Etymology. The name Pseudoazya massayo sp. nov. is from the Tupi-guarani, an indigenous language. It was the indigenous name of the municipality of Maceió, capital of the state of Alagoas, and place of origin of part of the type material. The name means “waterlogged land”, in reference to a large mangrove area of the city.

Biological data. Pseudoazya massayo sp. nov. was collected inhabiting coconut trees, Cocos nucifera L. ( Arecaceae ), and preying on Aspidiotus destructor Signoret, 1869 ( Hemiptera : Diaspididae ). Additionally, this species was found on Citrus sp. ( Rutaceae ) and on Cordyline sp. ( Asparagaceae ), where it fed on diaspidids.