Coccus cephalotaxus Cao & Feng, 2022

Cao, Tong, Watson, Gillian W., Hodgson, Chris J., Jing, Qi & Feng, Ji-Nian, 2022, The genera Coccus and Prococcus (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) in China with two new combinations and descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 5087 (1), pp. 112-128 : 123-124

Coccus cephalotaxus Cao & Feng , sp. n.

( Figs 5 and 6 )

Material examined. Holotype adult ♀: CHINA: label: Museum Garden, Yangling, Shannxi Province, China / 17.iii.2017 on Cephalotaxus sinensis (Taxaceae) / Cao Tong, Zhang Na ( NWAFU) / Coccus cephalotaxus Cao & Feng , holotype in the middle and circled . Paratypes ♀♀: 2 adult females on the same slide with holotype, in the upper left and right corners, plus 1 slide with 5 specimens and another 2 slides each with 1 specimen; collection data same as holotype ( NWAFU). All the slide labels ( Fig. 5 ) are written in Chinese .

Description (data taken from all 10 specimens)

Adult female in life. Body asymmetric, very elongate, long and narrow, dorsum with a longitudinal ridge and transverse wrinkles; yellowish-brown to fulvous, mature adult females are slightly darker.

Slide-mounted adult female. Mounted specimens asymmetric and very elongate, narrow anteriorly, broadest in posterior abdomen; body 3‒4 times as long as greatest width, 2.7–4.8 mm long, 1.0– 1.5 mm wide. Anal cleft approximately 1/10–1/7 of body length.

Dorsum. Derm with small circular cell-like areolations distributed over entire dorsum, these becoming more pronounced on older females. Dorsal microducts present singly in each areolation. Setae small, either conical and spinose with sharply pointed apices, or slightly cylindrical with bluntly rounded apices, each with a well-developed basal socket, scattered; each about 9.7–11.2 μm long. Submarginal tubercles symmetrically arranged, with 4 or 5 on each side (2 to 4 between anterior stigmatic clefts on head and, each side, with 1 between anterior and posterior stigmatic clefts, and 1‒3 between each posterior stigmatic cleft and anal cleft). Dorsal tubular ducts absent. Preopercular pores small and circular, a group of 4‒6 present anterior to anal plates. Anal plates each triangular, together quadrate, 293–312 μm long, 112–128 μm wide, anterolateral margin slightly concave, 165–184 μm long, posterolateral margin slightly concave, 200–220 μm long, posterior margin longer than anterior margin, outer angle slightly obtuse; each plate with a well-developed supporting bar, and 4 or 5 apical setae.Anogenital fold with 2 pairs of anterior margin setae, each 94–107 μm long, and 3 pairs of lateral marginal setae, each 61–123 μm long. Anal ring subcircular, with 2 rows of translucent pores and 6 anal ring setae. Eyespots present on dorsal margin, each set in a paler circular area.

Margin. Marginal setae each 28.9–43.2 μm long, with well-developed basal sockets, slender and straight, with apices either sharp, rather bluntly pointed or with apices bifurcate or branched; with 45–52 setae between anterior stigmatic clefts, and each side with 16–20 setae between anterior and posterior stigmatic clefts, and 45–55 setae between the posterior stigmatic cleft and anal cleft. Stigmatic clefts distinct, each cleft containing 3 slender spinose stigmatic spines, each tapered and blunt with a well-developed basal socket; median spine longest, 111–119 μm long, about 3‒4 times as long as a lateral spine, each 32–42 μm long.

Venter. Derm membranous. Antennae each with 7 or 8 segments, with both antennal segment numbers about equally frequent (a few specimens even have 7- and 8-segmented antennae together on the same specimen). Total antennal length 508–557 μm; segments IV and V with pseudo-articulations when antenna 7 segmented, and segment IV longest, 105–132 μm long; lengths of other segments in μm: I, 54–67; II, 62–65; III, 75–93; V, 41–48; VI, 41–46; VII, 63–72. Setal distribution on 7-segmented antennae: scape 3; pedicel 2; III, 0; IV, 3; V & VI, each segment with 1 fleshy seta and 1 hair-like seta; VII with 4 fleshy setae, 3 stiff setae and 1 hair-like seta. When antenna 8 segmented, segment III longest, 79–106 μm long; lengths of other segments in μm: I, 44–70; II, 61–71; VI, 46–70; V, 56–66; VI, 40–48; VII, 41–50; and VIII, 66–89. Setal distribution on 8-segmented antennae: scape 3; pedicel 2; III, 0; IV, 0; V, 3; VI & VII, each segment with 1 fleshy seta and 1 hair-like seta; and VIII with 4 fleshy setae, 3 stiff setae and 1 hair-like seta. Two or 3 pairs of inter-antennal setae present, each seta 63–134 μm long. With 3 pairs of long pregenital setae, each 106–183 μm long. Other ventral setae setose and fine, each 9.2–18.5 μm long, sparsely distributed over entire venter, slightly denser on submarginal and genital areas and on preceding 3 abdominal segments; also near each coxa. Submarginal setae fine and pointed, each 9.2–11.2 μm long, in a sparse single row around body. Legs mostly well developed, each with a tibio-tarsal articulation; articulatory sclerosis rarely absent; tibia 215–230 μm long, longer than tarsus; tarsus 130.1–136.9 μm long; occasionally tibio-tarsal articulation imperfect (on 3 specimens). Claw without a denticle; claw digitules similar, each broad and expanded at apex, about 48–57 μm long. Tarsal digitules longer than claw digitules, slender, knobbed, expanded at apex, each about 72–83 μm long. Spiracles normal, without sclerotic plates. Spiracular disc pores mostly each with 5 loculi in the outer ring; spiracular pore bands narrow, each 2 or 3 rows wide, reaching medially beyond base of spiracular apodeme. Anterior spiracular pore band with 20–33 pores, posterior spiracular pore band with 24–43 pores. Multilocular disc pores each primarily with 10 loculi, occasionally with as few as 8, present around genital area and on preceding 1 or 2 abdominal segments. Ventral tubular ducts absent from most specimens, but one specimen with tubular ducts present in a group of 5 or 6 on each side between mesocoxa and median area of mesothorax; in another specimen, with 3 tubular ducts present near each mesocoxa; each ventral tubular duct with a relatively broad outer ductule and a narrow inner ductule with a flower-shaped terminal gland.

Etymology. The species epithet cephalotaxus is a masculine noun in apposition, referring to the host plant from which this new species was collected

Host plant. The specimens were found pressed closely against veins on the leaves of Cephalotaxus sinensis (Rehd. et Wils.) Li.

Distribution. CHINA: Shannxi Province.

Comments. Morphologically, adult female C. cephalotaxus sp. n. are very similar to those of the Sri Lankan species, C. ophiorrhizae ( Green, 1896) . The two species share some distinct character-states: (i) antennae with seven or eight segments; (ii) multilocular disc pores each primarily with 10 loculi; (iii) anogenital fold with two pairs of anterior margin setae; (iv) anal ring with six anal ring setae; and (v) dorsal and ventral tubular ducts absent, though ventral tubular ducts occasionally present on C. cephalotaxus sp. n. However, the new species can be separated from C. ophiorrhizae as follows (data for C. ophiorrhizae from Avasthi & Shafee (1991) and Tang (1991) given in brackets): (i) marginal setae slender and straight, with apices either sharp or rather bluntly pointed, or bifurcate or branched (small and simple, with apices pointed); (ii) dorsal setae small, either conical and spinose with apices pointed or slightly cylindrical with apices bluntly rounded (small and cylindrical with apices rounded); (iii) preopercular pores present (absent); (iv) submarginal tubercles present in cephalic region (absent); (v) anogenital fold with 6 lateral margin setae (with 4 lateral margin setae); (vi) ventral setae distributed throughout, slightly denser on submarginal and genital areas, and with submarginal setae fine, in a single row (a few present on median area but submarginal setae absent); (vii) legs with a tibio-tarsal articulation, with or without an articulatory sclerosis; occasionally tibio-tarsal articulation imperfect (with a tibio-tarsal articulation and an articulatory sclerosis); (viii) ventral tubular ducts present or absent (ventral tubular ducts absent); and (ix) body asymmetric and very elongate, narrow anteriorly, broadest at posterior of abdomen (pointed at both ends, broadest at posterior stigmatic clefts).

In addition, two other Coccus species , C. longulus ( Douglas, 1887) and the West African species C. cajani ( Newstead, 1917) both lack tubular ducts on both dorsum and venter, possess very elongate bodies and have a tibio-tarsal articulatory sclerosis like C. cephalotaxus sp. n. Coccus cephalotaxus sp. n. can be separated from C. longulus as follows (data for C. longulus from Ben-Dov (1977) and Tang (1991) given in brackets): (i) anal plates each without a subdiscal seta (with a subdiscal seta); (ii) anogenital fold with 2 pairs of anterior margin setae and 6 anal ring setae (with 6 or 8 pairs of anterior margin setae, and 8 anal ring setae); (iii) dorsal setae small, either conical and spinose with pointed apices, or slightly cylindrical with bluntly rounded apices (flagellate and conspicuously curved, with apices pointed); (iv) multilocular disc pores each primarily with 10 loculi (each primarily with 7 loculi); (v) legs with a tibio-tarsal articulation, with or without an articulatory sclerosis; occasionally tibio-tarsal articulation imperfect (with a tibio-tarsal articulation and articulatory sclerosis); and (vi) ventral tubular ducts present or absent (ventral tubular ducts absent).

Coccus cephalotaxus sp. n. can be separated from C. cajani as follows (data for C. cajani from Newstead (1917) and Łagowska & Hodgson (2019) given in brackets): (i) marginal setae with apices sharp or rather bluntly pointed, or bifurcate or branched (with apices dilated and frayed); (ii) anal plates each without a subdiscal seta or any reticulate pattern on venter (each plate with a subdiscal seta, sometimes venter with a reticulate pattern [ Newstead 1917]); (iii) anogenital fold with 4 anterior margin setae (with 6 anterior margin setae); (iv) legs with a tibio-tarsal articulation, with or without an articulatory sclerosis, but occasionally tibio-tarsal articulation imperfect (with a tibio-tarsal articulation and an articulatory sclerosis); and (v) ventral tubular ducts present or absent (ventral tubular ducts absent).

Occasionally, a few ventral tubular ducts are present on the mesothorax of Coccus cephalotaxus sp. n. Another Coccus species , C. discrepans ( Green, 1904) , also has ventral tubular ducts only on the thorax. However, C. cephalotaxus can be separated from C. discrepans as follows (data for C. discrepans from Avasthi & Shafee (1991) and Tang (1991) given in brackets): (i) ventral tubular ducts present in a group of 3–6 near each mesocoxa, or between mesocoxa and median area of mesothorax (ventral tubular ducts sparsely present laterad to each metacoxa); (ii) lateral marginal setae numbering 3 pairs (numbering 2 pairs); (iii) preopercular pores present (absent); and (iv) body extremely elongate (body broadly oval).

Figures

FIGURE 5. A photograph of the type slides of Coccus cephalotaxus Cao & Feng sp. n. (bottom) and C. nanningensis Cao & Feng sp. n. (top) to facilitate future recognition. The holotype specimen on each slide is ringed in blue.

FIGURE 6. Adult female of Coccus cephalotaxus sp. n. Abbreviations: AGF ano-genital fold; ANP anal plates; ANT antenna; DA body derm appearance; DMD dorsal microduct; DS dorsal seta; DT dorsal tubercles; LG tibio-tarsal joint of hind leg; MS marginal setae; MDP multilocular disc pores; SDP spiracular disc pores; SP spiracle; SSP stigmatic spines; VS ventral setae; VTD ventral tubular duct.