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The interactions between the lacewing Ceraeochrysa claveri (Navás) (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) larva and the coconut mealybug Nipaecoccus nipae (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) were recorded. The third-instar lacewing larva constructed a dorsal packet using mealybug wax from both male pupal cases and the bodies of adult females. Surprisingly, live nymphs were also frequently placed into the dorsal packet. Prey mealybugs were discarded and not incorporated into the packet after consumption. When disturbed, adult female mealybugs reflex bled from their dorsal ostioles, contacting the mouthparts of the lacewing. The lacewing quickly retreated to clean the mouthparts on the substrate, providing further evidence that ostiolar fluids act as a defense mechanism for mealybugs. Despite repeatedly contacting the ostiolar fluid, the lacewing pupated and eclosed successfully. Macro video footage of dorsal packet construction and ostiolar reflex bleeding is included. This is the first report of C. claveri preying on N. nipae, the first evidence of C. claveri using mealybug wax to construct the dorsal packet, and the first account of reflex bleeding via the dorsal ostioles to deter predators in N. nipae.
ZooBank registration. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:CCEE7B47-B6E9-4D36-8860-A7F4DE5E717B
In over 100 genera of tropical angiosperms, one or more species possess specialised structures for housing ants. The longevity and intimacy of these associations has often facilitated an increasing specialisation of both the ants and the plants, leading to a number of highly specific and obligate symbioses. Early literature contained only few anecdotal reports of the ant genus Cladomyrma WHEELER inhabiting (unidentified) plants. This work presents the new findings on Cladomyrma and its host plants that accumulated over the last two decades. My studies of Cladomyrma reveal that there is a largely overlooked community of south-east Asian plant-ants and their associated plants. Currently the genus consists of at least 12 species. Cladomyrma has been thought to be restricted to the ever-wet part of the West Malesian floristic region, comprising the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, and Sumatra, but recent collections from Thailand and Vietnam indicate that species of the genus penetrate the seasonal tropical forests of Continental Asia. Cladomyrma inhabits 24 plant species belonging to a surprisingly extensive range of plant taxa: Callerya, Saraca, Spatholobus (Fabaceae), Crypteronia (Crypteroniaceae), Drypetes (Putranjivaceae), Ryparosa (Achariaceae), Strychnos (Loganiaceae), Neonauclea (Rubiaceae), Luvunga (Rutaceae) and Sphenodesme (Verbenaceae). In terms of taxonomic diversity on the genus and family level the range of hosts utilised by Cladomyrma is one of the broadest ever recorded for any live stem-nesting plant-ant lineage worldwide. This work provides a species-level overview of all Cladomyrma host plants known from Borneo, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, including descriptions of ant-housing structures (domatia), ant inhabitant identity, onset of colonisation during plant ontogeny, nest structure, occupancy rate, and considerations of results obtained from herbarium specimens. Both the regularity of ant association and the degree of morphological specialisation toward myrmecophytism are assessed. The behavioural traits of Cladomyrma are compatible with traits exhibited by other protective plant-ants. This work demonstrates that all species of Cladomyrma investigated (dianeae, maschwitzi, yongi, petalae) confer antiherbivore protection to young leaves of its host. The ants also attack and repell or kill herbivorous insect larvae encountered on young foliage. Cleaning behaviour appears to be a trait shared by all members of the genus, and the two species tested (maschwitzi, petalae) successfully removed termite eggs experimentally placed onto young leaves. Another trait common to all known species of the genus is that the ants preferentially patrol young shoots and leaves ('neophily'). These behavioural traits of Cladomyrma likely reduce stem damage and pathogenic infection of their host. The ants prune encroaching vegetation (tested in dianeae maschwitzi, petalae, yongi, observed in crypteroniae) and attack paper tape used to mark host plants (observed in andrei, dianeae, hobbyi, nudidorsalis, maschwitzi, yongi, petalae). If these traits combined translate into a better reproductive success of the hosts has yet to be verified. Evidence for lifetime fitness benefits is particularly difficult to quantify for the long-lived woody host plants of Cladomyrma. The predominant food source of Cladomyrma appears to be the honeydew of scale insects (Coccidae and Pseudococcidae) which the ants tend inside their nest cavities. Observations on scale insect acquisition by Cladomyrma foundress queens show that hemipteran trophobionts are not transported by the queens on their nuptial flight but they nevertheless arrive on the host plant independently of the ants. Entry into nest chambers is facilitated by small holes kept open by the foundress queen. Most Cladomyrma species have been recorded from only one or two (three) host plant species (andrei, crypteroniae, hobbyi, maschwitzi, nudidorsalis, scopulosa, yongi), but two species, Cladomyrma petalae and C. dianeae, are more catholic in their host usage; the first being a 'generalist' plant-ant colonising hosts across a broad taxonomic range, the second inhabiting several members of the genus Neonauclea. First results of host-choice experiments with C. petalae are presented and the potential mechanisms promoting host specificity are discussed. My studies of the Cladomyrma/plant associations indicate that codiversification and host shifts or host expansions, rather than cospeciation, shape the pattern of species interactions in this system. Finally, I propose a scenario in which three key traits of Cladomyrma –access to live stems, utilisation of indirect food rewards via trophobionts and 'neophily'– are hypothesised to favour niche differentiation and the acquisition of new hosts over evolutionary time.
The Bermuda grass scale Odonaspis ruthae Kotinsky, 1915 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae) is reported for the first time in Colombia. The scale insect was collected in two localities, in northwestern and southwestern Colombia. This is the first record of the tribe Odonaspidini in Colombia. Aspects of the distribution and biology of the species are discussed. A key to separate the species of Odonaspis recorded in the Neotropical region is provided.
At Topes de Collantes Natural Park, Alturas de Trinidad, in the mountains of Guamuhaya province of Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, 30 species of scale insects belonging to 21 genera, four families and an endemic species were identifi ed. Specimens were deposited at the insect zoological collection of the Ecology and Systematics Institute (CZACC), Cuba. A literature review was carried out and the world data base on scale insects, ScaleNet was consulted. A cartographic map indicating the collecting sites at the scale of 1: 250,000 was created using MapInfo Professional Version 4.5 program. Twelve species are recorded for the fi rst time for the mountains of Guamuhaya and further 10 species are recorded for other locations. 82% of the species were polyphagous, 11% were oligophagous and 7% were monophagous. 57% were introduced species, 43% were native and 79% are cosmopolitan or widely distributed species. 30 species and 21 families of host plants were identifi ed, of which 23 plant species were new host plant records for 19 scale insect species, and 11 botanical families are for the fi rst time recorded as hosts for 10 scale insect species. There were signifi cant differences in the distribution of scale insects and their host plant species, botanical families and vegetation type.
El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar las especies de cocoideos (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) presentes en Sierra del Rosario y Sierra de los Órganos, Cordillera de Guaniguanico, provincia de Pinar del Río; así como, obtener la relación de sus plantas hospedantes. Se revisaron las Colecciones Zoológicas del Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática (CZACC), Cuba, las publicaciones cubanas sobre cocoideos y ScaleNet, que es una base de datos de los cocoideos del mundo. Se realizó una representación cartográfica de las localidades de recolección sobre un mapa a escala de 1:250000, utilizando el programa MapInfo Professional Versión 4.5. Se hallaron 53 especies de cocoideos, agrupados en 42 géneros y seis familias, de las cuales 11 especies se registraron por primera vez para el área de estudio: Coccus longulus (Douglas, 1887), Kilifia acuminata (Signoret, 1873), Parasaissetia nigra (Nietner, 1861), Protopulvinaria pyriformis (Cockerell, 1894), Pseudokermes vitreus (Cockerell, 1894), Aspidiella sacchari (Cockerell, 1893), Duplaspidiotus tesseratus (Grandpré & Charmoy, 1899), Pinnaspis aspidistrae (Signoret, 1869), Pinnaspis strachani (Cooley, 1899), Pseudoparlatoria parlatorioides (Comstock, 1883), y Eriococcus sp. Se relacionaron 54 especies de cocoideos y 36 familias de plantas hospedantes con nuevos registros de éstas. Palabras clave. Coccoidea, Sternorrhyncha, Hemiptera, plantas hospedantes, nuevos registros, Cuba.
Neolecanium amazonensis Foldi is redescribed and illustrated and is transferred to the new genus Foldilecanium Kondo as Foldilecanium amazonensis (Foldi) comb. nov. A new species, Foldilecanium multisetosus Kondo, is described and illustrated based on specimens collected in Cali, Colombia, on Cananga odorata (Lam.) Hook.f. and Thomson (Annonaceae). An updated taxonomic key to New World Myzolecaniinae and a key to separate the two species of Foldilecanium are provided.
Based on morphological features of the adult female, the Brazilian soft scale, Mesolecanium ferum Hempel, 1920 (= Toumeyella ferum) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) is transferred to the genus Neotoumeyella Kondo and Williams, 2009, as Neotoumeyella ferum (Hempel), comb. nov. The genus Neotoumeyella is rediagnosed in order to accommodate the unique features of M. ferum and an updated key to the six species of the genus is provided. An English translation of the Spanish redescription of M. ferum (as T. ferum) by Granara de Willink (2012) is also provided, with the author’s comments and interpretations.
We treat 50 species of Pseudococcus Westwood (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) found in Central and South America. Sixteen new species are described and illustrated: Pseudococcus acaena Granara de Willink n. sp., P. bahiensis Granara de Willink n. sp., P. calchaquii Granara de Willink n. sp., P. chaquensis Granara de Willink n. sp., P. colombiensis Granara de Willink n. sp., P. cubaensis Granara de Willink n. sp., P. cuyoensis Granara de Willink n. sp., P. debilis Granara de Willink n. sp., P. dumetum Granara de Willink n. sp., P. insuetus Granara de Willink n. sp., P. lanatii Granara de Willink, n. sp., P. neuquenensis Granara de Willink n. sp., P. occultus Granara de Willink n. sp., P. panamaensis Granara de Willink n. sp., P. salazari Granara de Willink n. sp. and P. scatoterrae Granara de Willink n. sp. The new species are distributed in Argentina (9 spp.), Colombia (3 spp.), Brazil (2), Uruguay (2), Cuba (1), Panama (1) and Peru (1). Diagnostic characters and illustrations of 34 additional species are provided: Pseudococcus agavis McGregor, P. apomicrocirculus Gimpel and Miller, P. calceolariae (Maskell), P. comstocki (Kuwana), P. cribata González, P. cryptus Hempel, P. donrileyi Gimpel and Miller, P. elisae Borchsenius, P. eriocereus Williams, P. espeletiae Williams and Granara de Willink, P. galapagoensis Morrison, P. importatus McKenzie, P. insularis Morrison, P. jackbeardsleyi Gimpel and Miller, P. landoi (Balachowsky), P. longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti), P. mandio Williams, P. maritimus (Ehrhorn), P. meridionalis Prado, P. microcirculus McKenzie, P. nakaharai Gimpel and Miller, P. neomicrocirculus Gimpel and Miller, P. odermatti Miller and Williams, P. pabulum Granara de Willink, P. peregrinabundus Borchsenius, P. puertoricensis Gimpel and Miller, P. rosangelae Pacheco da Silva and Kaydan, P. saccharicola Takahashi, P. schusteri Gimpel and Miller, P. spanocera Gimpel and Miller, P. sociabilis Hambleton, P. solenedyos Gimpel and Miller, P. sorghiellus (Forbes) and P. viburni (Signoret). Five species from Argentina, two species from Jamaica and one species from Suriname are cited for the first time. Sixty-three figures, corresponding to the known species, their variations and new species cited for the region are included. A list of host plants containing 77 plant families and 355 species is included. An updated list of host plants and the distribution of some species of the genus is provided.
This paper updates the knowledge about the occurrence of armored scale insects on tropical fruit trees in Argentina, and Pseudaulacaspis cockerelli (Cooley) is recorded for the fi rst time from Argentina and South America. Herein we present three new associations for the world: Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell) / Musa paradisiaca L.; Hemiberlesia cyanophylli (Signoret) / M. paradisiaca, and Acutaspis paulista (Hempel) / Persea americana Miller, and 10 new associations of armored scale / tropical fruit for Argentina are presented. Acutaspis paulista, Hemiberlesia palmae (Cockerell), Mycetaspis personata (Comstock) and P. cockerelli are cited for the first time on tropical fruits in this country.