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These images follow teneral adult male images in a series (linked below) documenting the development of a scale insect infesting the pinyon (Pinus edulis) tree in the southeast corner of the Federal Credit Union parking lot on the Corner of Sherman Ave. and Chanute St. (Albuquerque East 7.5 minute quadrangle), Kirtland AFB, Bernalillo Co. NM. Both living and preserved males from this population are represented in the linked set. The preserved specimens eclosed from pupae collected 05 JAN 2015 from needle detritus under the pinyon and a nearby juniper bush. They were periodically moistened and kept at room temperature. This accelerated their developement, so dates are omitted from their data. They eclosed throughout the rest of the month of January.

The first 3 images are of males photographed live on 14 FEB 2015 respectively approaching, mating, and departing females on the trunk of the tree. The two sexes congretate in large numbers on the trunk from mid Febuary to early March to mate, but can also be found mating on the needles. Mating only requires about 10 seconds.

The next 3 images are of 2 specimens which have been mounted and desiccated without any chemical treatment to best display various dorsal and lateral features. Chemical treatment with acetone and/or HMDS(1) helps preserve the shape of desiccated specimens, but was found to dissolve its long (wax) caudal filaments. The filaments are preserved, therefore, but at the cost of a shriveled abdomen. The filaments are usually bundled together into a single spike-like "tail" in life, but readily spread out if disturbed, as shown in Specimen 1's dorsal view. The filaments are secreted from tubes on the dorsal surface near the end of the abdomen shortly after eclosure. A close-up of the dorsal wing shows pinnate venation, which identifies it as Matsucoccidae(2). The images of Specimen 2 show a lateral view of the caudal filaments still bundled, a lateral close-up of their secretion tubes and a latero-ventral view of the head.

The rest of the images are of 4 specimens which have been mounted and chemically and thermally treated to preserve and best show different features. For this, the legs and wings of a freshly killed specimen are spread on a small Plastazote(TM) foam disk under a dissection microscope using Minuten(TM) pins. The specimen is then soaked for at least 24 hours each in 95% ETOH, acetone, then fresh acetone. Subsequent air-drying at room temperature suffices for most insects to preserve their shape, but proved insufficient to prevent the abdomen from shrivelling for these specimens. To avoid this, the acetone is rapidly evaporated immediately after removal from its final soak by heating from opposite sides with intense close-proximity illumination from a 150 W dual-fiber halogen microscope illuminator. After a little experience with one's hand on the power knob, the abdomen first starts to shrivel, and then rapidly expands to at least its original volume as the acetone inside is brought to a boil. The abdomen's flank often tears open in the process, as can be seen in the dorsal abdominal close-up of Specimen 3. This is often inconspicuous, and the specimen may still be useful. The abdomen continues to shrivel if too little heat is applied, but explodes into many pieces with too much. After inflation, illumination continues until all the acetone evaporates, and the inflation is permanent. Specimen 5 (prepared for lateral views) was treated in this way too, but pretty much kept its original shape during the process. This specimen was collected several weeks after eclosure, and its abdomen had already contracted considerably due to depletion of its reserves (adult males do not feed).

The final image in this set is of Specimen 6's left antenna. It is a composite of images with different perspectives, starting with the dorsal view and rotating in 45 degree increments clockwise as viewed from the end. That is, imagining the antenna sticking straight out to the left, from left to right the odd images are dorsal, anterior, ventral, posterior, and a repeated dorsal view. The even images are half-way between their neighboring odd images. I prepared this image primarily so that all of the setae may be seen in at least one image for counting purposes. The antenna has 10 segments, with Segment 3 being the first elongated one. Segments 3 through 10 have several mostly inwardly curved short pointed setae along their length. The apical ends of Segments 3 through 9 have, respectively, 0, 4, 5, 4, 4, 4, and 4 long knobbed setae. Segment 10 is tipped with 3 short knobbed setae. By comparison, the adult male of Matsucoccus acalyptus, as described by McCambridge and Pierce 1964(3), has 9 antenna segments with the apical ends of Segments 3 through 8 having 4 long, knobbed setae, and Segment 9 is tipped with 4 to 8 short, knobbed setae.

Phases of development: