Lecanodiaspis, Targioni Tozzetti, 1869

Hodgson, Chris, 2020, A review of neococcid scale insects (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha) based on the morphology of the adult males, Zootaxa 4765 (1), pp. 1-264 : 196

Key to adult male Lecanodiaspis species (based on the published description of the above 9 species).

1. Hamulohalteres absent. Postoccipital ridge transverse, without posterior extensions laterally.............. L. brabei Brain

- Hamulohalters present. Postoccipital ridge with posterior extensions laterally (apart from L. elytropappi )............... 2

2. Small simple pores present in a group on dorsal surface of head near each scape. Preocular ridges meeting medially. Postoccipital ridge with long posterior arms.................................................... L. baculifera Leonardi

- Small simple pores absent on dorsal surface of head. Preocular ridges not nearly meeting medially. Postoccipital ridge with only short posterior arms................................................................................... 3

3. Postoccipital ridge without lateral posterior extensions. Median prosternal ridge present. Dorsal head setae present. Metapre- coxal ridge absent................................................ L. elytropappi Munting & Giliomee ( Fig. 75 )

- Postoccipital ridge with lateral posterior extensions. Other characters not in this combination......................... 4

4. Genal tubercles present................................................................................ 5

- Genal tubercles absent................................................................................. 8

5. Metaprecoxal ridge present. Tegular setae absent......................................... L. rufescens (Cockerell)

- Metaprecoxal ridge absent. Tegular setae present............................................................ 6

6. Ventral head setae present................................................... L. hodgsoni Howell & Koszatarab

- Ventral head setae absent............................................................................... 7

7. With 0 or 1 pairs of dorsal head setae. Prosternal median ridge absent................. L. varioseta Howell & Kosztarab

- With 3+ pairs of dorsal head setae. Prosternal median ridge present..................... L. africana Newstead ( Fig. 76 )

8. Dorsal pleural setae absent from abdominal segment I. Cranial apophysis comparatively long, reaching level of ventral simple eyes. Cranial apophysis with 3 apical branches.............................................. L. acacia (Maskell)

- Dorsal pleural setae present on abdominal segment I. Cranial apophysis comparatively short, not reaching level of ventral simple eyes. Cranial apophysis bifurcate..................................................... L. anomala Green

Notes: 1. Ocelli, when present, are located on all male Coccomorpha on or near the posterior margin of the ocular sclerite and are considered to be absent on adult male Lecanodiaspis sp. Amin et al. (1976) show the ocelli as present in the middle of the gena in their figures and describe them in their text as being on the gena. The position of the ocelli in their figures clearly equates to the dermal tubercle found on other lecanodiaspids by Afifi and Kosztarab (1969). Note that some Chionaspididae also have a genal spot. Whether these are homologous is unknown.

2. Unfortunately, the figures in Amin et al. (1976) are all incorrectly labelled! Thus their Fig. 1 , labelled L. baculifera , is in fact of L hodgsoni ; Fig. 2 , labelled L. hodgsoni , is in fact of L. rufescens ; Fig. 3 , labelled L. rufescens , is in fact of L. varioseta , and Fig. 4 , labelled L. varioseta , is of L. baculifera .

3. Because, in many cases, the number of specimens studied for the descriptions from which the above data was taken was few, the variance and therefore the taxonomic significance of some of these character-states is uncertain.

Comment. Of the 12 genera currently included in the Lecanodiaspididae , adult males of only Lecanodiaspis have been described. These are all very similar and, as the above key suggests, only differ in a few small particulars. As examples of adult male lecanodiaspids, L. africana Newstead and L. elytroppapi Munting & Giliomee are here illustrated ( Figs 75 , 76 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. A possible evolutionary tree for the neococcoid taxa discussed in this paper, based on the morphological diagnoses for the alate adult males. Taxa in brackets are all apterous and their placement is tentative, based mainly on other work. The numbers refer to the character changes at each node, and refer to the couplets in the ‘Key to extant neococcoid higher taxa’ on p. 19, where 1=couplet 1 (Archaeococcoidea); 2=couplet 2 (Neococcoidea); 3 & 4=couplets 3-6 (Rhizoecidae & Pseudococcidae); 5=couplets 3, 4, 6 & 7 (subfamilies of Pseudococcidae); 6=couplets 3, 4, 5, 8–11 (Acanthococcus group); 7=couplets 9–11 (taxa in Acanthococcus group); 8=couplets 5, 8, 12 & 13 (Gondwana group); 9=couplets 5, 8, 12–14 (BSE group, except E. buxi); 10=couplet 14 (Beesoniidae & Stictococcidae); 11=couplets 4 & 15 (taxa with bifurcated setae and sclerotised scutum); 12=couplet 15 (Diaspididae & Conchaspididae); 13=couplets 3 & 16 (taxa with membranous scutum); 14=couplets 3 & 16–19 (Kermesidae, Kerriidae, Cerococcidae & Asterloecaniidae), and 15=couplets 3, 16, 20 & 21 (Lecanodiaspididae, Aclerdidae & Coccidae).

FIGURE 2. Rhizoecus coffeae Laing. Macropterous male. (Rhizoecidae, Rhizoecina). Where A=hair-like seta, B=fleshy seta, C=loculate pores, K=proximal end of metathoracic leg, and Z=mouth tubercle. For abbreviations, see p. 8.

FIGURE 3. Ripersiella hibisci (Kawai & Takagi). Macropterous male. (Rhizoecidae, Ripersiellina). Where A=hair-like seta, B=fleshy seta, C =loculate pores, F=alar sensoria, and K=proximal end of metathoracic leg. For abbreviations, see p. 8.

FIGURE 4. Rhizoecus dianthi Green. Brachypterous male. (Rhizoecidae, Rhizoecina). Where A=hair-like seta, B=fleshy seta, C=loculate pore, D=simple pore, and G=wing microtrichia. For abbreviations, see p. 8.

FIGURE 75. Lecanodiaspis elytropappi Munting & Giliomee. Macropterous male. (Lecanodiaspididae). (After Munting & Giliomee 1967). Where C and D=dorsal and ventral views of head, E=claw, F=third antennal segment, and G=apical antennal segment.

FIGURE 76. Lecanodiaspis africana Newstead. Macropterous male. (Lecanodiaspididae) (After Afifi & Kosztarab 1969). Where B=apical antennal segments and C=claw. For abbreviations see p. 8.