Ceroplastes rubens Maskell, 1893, 1927

Wu, San-An & Wang, Xubo, 2019, A review species of the genus Ceroplastes (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) in China, Zootaxa 4701 (6), pp. 520-536 : 531

Ceroplastes rubens Maskell, 1893

( Fig. 11 )

Ceroplastes rubens Maskell, Kuwana, 1927: 71 ; Tang, 1977: 96; Yang, 1982: 187; Tang, 1991: 300; Wang, 2001: 389; Martin & Lau, 2011: 134.

Ceroplastes rubens var. minor Maskell, Hoffmann, 1927: 75 ; Chang, 1929: 156; Yang, 1982: 187.

Material examined. FUJIAN: 3 ♀♀, Shaowu , on Ilex cornuta , 17.iv.2012, coll. Akang Deng. GUIZHOU: 7 ♀♀, Guiyang , on Citrus reticulata , 4.iv.2011, coll. Hu Li. HENAN: 4 ♀♀, Yanling , on a Rutaceae plant, 14.vi.2010, coll. Nan Nan & San-an Wu. HUNAN: 3 ♀♀, Changsha , on Eriobotrya japonica , 21.x.2009, coll. San-an Wu ; 5 ♀♀, Changsha , on Ilex chinensis , 21.x.2009, coll. San-an Wu. JIANGSU: 6 ♀♀, Nanjing : on Ilex cornuta , 22.vi.2009, coll. Xiaoxiao Wang ; 5 ♀♀, Changzhou : on Cedrus deodara , 29.vi.2009, coll. Xiaoxiao Wang ; 2 ♀♀, Yangzhou , on Ilex cornuta , 21.v.2007, coll. San-an Wu ; 4 ♀♀, Yangzhou , on Cedrus deodara , 21.v.2007, coll. San-an Wu. SHANGHAI: 4 ♀♀, Huinan , on Cedrus deodara , 17.iv.2011, coll. Hongliang Li. SICHUAN: 24 ♀♀, Chengdu , on Cinnamomum japonicum , 30.iv.2012, coll. Jun Deng, Haibin Li & Ying Wang. YUNNAN: 9 ♀♀, Kunming , on Ilex cornuta , 26.iv.2011, coll. Haibin Li ; 4 ♀♀, Kunming , on Cinnamomum cassia , 17.iv.2011, coll. Yingjie Zhang ; 11 ♀♀, Qujing , on Hedera helix , 27.iv.2012, coll. Jun Deng, Haibin Li & Ying Wang ; 4 ♀♀, Yuxi , on Cinnamomum burmannii , 19.iv.2013, coll. Jun Deng & Boxu Wang. ZHEJIANG: 2 ♀♀, Wenling , on Viburnum odoratissinum , 5.vii.2009, coll. Xiaoxiao Wang ; 3 ♀♀, Zhoushan : on Ilex cornuta , 15.xi.2005, coll. Saijun Yang.

Distribution in China. Widely distributed in southern parts of China outdoors and it also occurs indoors in northern China; the highest populations are found in East, Central and Southwest China.

Host-plants. Ceroplastes rubens is a polyphagous species. In China, it can infest over 40 plant species belonging to 24 families; preferred hosts include: Camellia spp., Cedrus deodara , Cinnamomum spp., Citrus spp., Ilex cornuta , Magnolia spp., and Pinus spp. ( Wang 2001).

Biology. In China, this species reproduces sexually, has one generation per year and overwinters as mated adult females. The females mainly feed on the stem, branches and upper leaf surfaces, whereas the males feed on the petioles and lower leaf surfaces. Once the crawler has settled, the remaining instars develop in the same spot ( Zeng & He 1939; Tao et al. 2003; Xia et al. 2005; Huang et al. 2007).

Remarks. Ceroplastes rubens can easily be distinguished from the other Ceroplastes species in China by the appearance of its wax cover, and by the adult female having reduced and distorted legs.

Figures

FIGURES 7–12. Live appearances. (7) C. magnificus (Green), on Artocarpus heterophyllus (Moraceae), Yunnan, Puer; (8) C. murrayi Fraggatt, on Artocarpus heterophyllus (Moraceae), Yunnan, Puer; (9) C. planus Wu & Wang, sp. nov., on Mesua ferrea (Guttiferae), Yunnan, Xishuangbanna; (10) C. pseudoceriferus Green, on Liquidambar formosana (Hamamelidaceae), Yunnan, Wenshan; (11) C. rubens Maskell, on Magnolia grandiflora (Magnoliaceae), Yunnan, Kunming; (12) C. rusci (Linnaeus), on Ficus microcarpa (Moraceae), Guangdong, Maoming.