Valid Names Results

Ripersiella illicians Schneider & LaPolla, 2022 (Rhizoecidae: Ripersiella)

Nomenclatural History

• Ripersiella illicians Schneider & LaPolla 2022: 13. Type data: PERU: Madre de Dios, Manu National Park, Cocha Cashu Biological Station, near trail marker 27: (1150; -11.8833, -71.4000), from large nest of Acropyga goeldii at base of a tree, 6/10/2019; by JS LaPolla, SA Schneider.. Holotype, female, by original designation Type depository: Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; accepted valid name Notes: Paratypes. Peru • 3 adult ♀♀; same data as holotype; USNM (nest PER25-01: preps S0426B,D,F) Illustr.

Common Names

Ecological Associates

Associates:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• SchneiLa2022: pp.25-26 ( Adult (F) ) [Neotropical Ripersiella lacking bitubular cerores]

Remarks

• Systematics: https://zoobank.org/7A49B97A-43A7-48D4-B8DF-8D9408E9A882

  Ripersiella illicians is similar to R. colombiensis as both species have a subcircular body shape, bearing one circulus, and both are lacking multilocular disc pores and an anterior pair of dorsal ostioles. However, R. illicians can be distinguished from R. colombiensis as follows (character states for R. colombiensis are given in parentheses): having 6-segmented antennae (5-segmented antennae); having comparatively long body setae, ranging from 15–40 μm (comparatively short, ranging from 15–25 μm); and having anal lobe setae that are distinctly longer than body setae, 57–60 μm (similar in length to body setae, 18–28 μm). (Schneider & LaPolla, 2022)

• Structure: Adult female in life, body bright white to cream colored and visibly coated in powdery white wax. Mounted on microscope slide, body broadly oval and membranous, 0.70–0.83 (0.78) mm long, widest at metathorax and abdominal segments I–II. Anal lobes poorly developed with several flagellate setae on dorsum. Internal genital organ sclerotized in some specimens of type series. Eyes absent. (Schneider & LaPolla, 2022)
• Biology: Ripersiella illicians was discovered from a large nest of Acropyga goeldii. Root mealybugs were abundant in the nest, and wax could be seen on their body using a hand lens. Their direct association was confirmed through observation of the colony using a nest-box, as described by Schneider et al. (2022). After specimens were collected into a nest-box, worker ants gathered trophobionts into a protective cluster and were actively engaged in attending to them. (Schneider & LaPolla, 2022)
• General Remarks: Detailed description, photograph and illustration in Schneider & LaPolla, 2022.

Illustrations

Citations