Valid Names Results

Pulvinaria caballeroramosae Tanaka & Kondo, 2015 (Coccidae: Pulvinaria)

Nomenclatural History

• Pulvinaria caballeroramosae Tanaka & Kondo 2015. Type data: COLOMBIA: Cundinamarca, Bogotá, D.C. Barrio Salitre, Carrera 68B, con Av. La Esperanza, Esquina Noroccidentalm on Ficus soatensis, 6/5/2014, by T. Kondo & A. Ramos Portilla. Holotype, female, Type depository: Bogota: Colleccion Taxonomica Nacional de Programa de Entomologia del ICA en el CNIA, Colombia; Tokyo: Imperial Agricultural Experiment Station, Tachikawa, Japan; accepted valid name Notes: Paratypes, same data as holotype, 11 femals (3 at UNAB, 3 CBTC, 3 USNM and 2 in Tottori Prefectural Museum, Tottori,Japan). Illustr.

Common Names

• Sabanero fig cottony scale. TanakaKo2015
• Escama blanda algodonosa del caucho sabanero TanakaKo2015

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Foes:

Families: 2 | Genera: 2

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• TanakaKo2015: pp.113 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to Colombian species of the genus Pulvinaria]

Remarks

• Systematics: http://zoobank.org/BF0B0A32-D4E2-4952-8DD9-0A8C9569B774 This species is considered to be close to Pulvinaria drymiswinteri Kondo & Gullan based on the distribution pattern of the ventral tubular ducts, tendency for reduction of the antennae and by the way it produces its ovisac, which is strongly adhered to the surface with the eggs exposed and visible through the fibrous ovisac. However, P. caballeroramosae is easily distinguishable from P. drymiswinteri by the following combination of features (character states of P. drymiswinteri in parenthesis): (1) dorsal tubular ducts present (absent); (2), dorsal microducts present (absent); (3) small reticulations on anal plates present (absent), (4) band of preopercular pores broadening anteriorly (not broadening anteriorly, present in a narrow band); and (5) multilocular pores mainly each with five loculi (multilocular pores mainly each with 5-8 loculi). (Tanaka & Kondo, 2015)
• Structure: Adult female in life oval, convex, 2.2-4.5 mm long, 1.9-3.8 mm wide, 0.9-2.0 mm tall, covered by a thin layer of glassy wax. Body greenish brown to yellowish brown, especially around body margin, mid dorsum lighter in color, yellowish to ochre, usually with a dark middorsal longitudinal line from head margin to just anterior to anal plates. Anal plates conspicuous, reddish brown; area around anal plates generally smooth and yellowish. Dorsal derm warty in appearance (except around anal plates), with round yellowish tubercles, especially on mid dorsum, tubercles fewer and smaller around margins and submargins; often with a pair of particularly large (two or more times wider than the anal plates) round submedial tubercles on mid dorsum, located diagonally from anal plates. Ovisac long, four or more times the length of the adult female, produced in a straight or curved line, strongly adhered to substrate, eggs generally exposed and clearly visible through the fibrous ovisac; eggs orange, purplish or ochre in color. (Tanaka & Kondo, 2015)
• Biology: The insects were found on the trunk, branches and twigs of the host. Adult males and puparia were commonly intermixed with the females. Pulvinaria caballeroramosae is commonly found in large numbers on Ficus soatensis, a common street tree in Bogota, often causing dieback of twigs and branches and in severe cases, dieback of the entire tree. The females produce long ovisacs that are conspicuous on the infested twigs and branches. No natural enemies, parasitoids or predators of P. caballeroramosae have been observed. (Tanaka & Kondo, 2015)
• General Remarks: Detailed description, photographs and illustration in Tanaka & Kondo, 2015.

Illustrations

Citations