Bambusaecoccus Meng & Xing, 2022

Meng, Shitao & Xing, Jichun, 2022, Bambusaecoccus maolanensis, a new soft scale genus and species from China (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae), Zootaxa 5168 (4), pp. 419-430 : 420-421

Genus Bambusaecoccus Meng & Xing gen. n.

Type species: Bambusaecoccus maolanensis Meng & Xing sp. n., here designated.

Generic diagnosis of adult female. Body broadly oval. Anal cleft deep, about 1/4‒1/5th of total body length. Stigmatic clefts present, deep, narrow marginally, but broadening away from margin, each cleft associated with about 20 dorsal stigmatic spines, with sclerotisation around inner margin, and in a small dorsal area. Dorsal derm membranous with numerous areolations. Dorsal setae short and sparse. Preopercular pores present in 2 groups, each group present antero-lateral to anal plates. Anal plates together quadrate, slightly pyriform, each plate with anterolateral margin slightly longer than posterolateral margin. Marginal setae apparently ventral, each short and spinose. Ventral tubular ducts present in a small group lateral to genital opening. Pregenital disc pores mostly each with 5‒8 loculi, present in a small group beneath posterior end of anal plates. Antennae small, each 7 segmented. Legs greatly reduced, each with only 3 segments visible on available material.

Etymology. The name Bambusaecoccus is composed of the main part of the plant subfamily Bambusoideae on which the type species was collected, plus ‘ coccus ’, from the Greek word “ kokkos ” meaning “seed” or “scale insect”.

Distribution. China.

Remarks. The soft scale insect tribe Paralecaniini contains genera characterized by possession of a pair of eyespots on the dorsal surface of the head, situated some distance from the margin; and stigmatic clefts noticeably sunken and well sclerotized ( Williams 1969). The tribe was revised by Hodgson (1994: 48), who listed four additional characteristics: “(i) lack of dorsal tubular ducts; (ii) restriction of ventral tubular ducts, if present, to a group on either side of genital opening; (iii) lack of pocket-like sclerotizations (except in Perilecanium ); and (iv) restriction of pregenital disc-pores to segments immediately anterior to genital opening (when present)”. Bambusaecoccus possesses all of the above characteristics of the Paralecaniini : the adult females lack dorsal tubular ducts, and have a pair of eyespots on the dorsal surface of the head situated some distance from the margin; ventral tubular ducts are restricted to a small group on either side of the genital opening; and pregenital disc-pores are restricted to segments immediately anterior to the genital opening.

Bambusaecoccus is similar to Takahashilecanium Kondo (in Kondo et al. 2005) in sharing the following character states: (i) stigmatic clefts present; (ii) pregenital disc-pores mostly each with 5 loculi; (iii) anal plates together pyriform; (iv) spiracular disc-pores present in broad bands between margin and spiracles; (v) preopercular pores present in two groups located laterad to anal plates; and (vi) pregenital disc pores forming a small group posterior to vulvar opening on each side of the anal cleft. Bambusaecoccus can be distinguished from the latter genus by (character states of Takahashilecanium in brackets): (i) stigmatic clefts each associated with about 20 dorsal stigmatic spines (each cleft containing only 3 stigmatic spines); (ii) ventral tubular ducts present in a small group on each side of genital opening (ventral tubular ducts absent); and (iii) legs and antennae reduced (legs and antennae well developed, although small relative to body size).