Antecerococcus theydoni (Hall) Hall, 2016

Chris J. Hodgson & Douglas J. Williams, 2016, (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha, Coccomorpha) with particular reference to species from the Afrotropical, western Palaearctic and western Oriental Regions, with the revival of Antecerococcus Green and description of a new genus and fifteen new species, and with ten new synonomies, Zootaxa 4091 (1), pp. 1-175 : 122-124

Antecerococcus theydoni (Hall) , comb. nov.

( Fig. 47 )

Cerococcus theydoni Hall 1935: 218 .

Cerococcus coffeae Vayssière 1946: 376 –380. Synonymy by Lambdin & Kosztarab 1977: 219.

Type details. C. theydoni , ZIMBABWE (as Southern Rhodesia), "Theydon," on an unknown plant, 19.xi.1928, W.J. Hall. Depository: BMNH: Holotype adf + 4/4 paratype adff.

Type details. C. coffeae , ZAIRE (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Rutshuru, on Coffea arabica , -. iii.1937, J. Ghesquière. Depository: MNHN: lectotype 1/1 adf (g) (here designated) (MNHN slide no. 5311-10); paralectotype ff: 3/5adff (p-g) (MNHN slides no. 5311-4, 5, 16) + paralectotype first-instar nymphs (MNHN slides nos 5311-1 to 5311-3; 5311-6 to 5311-9; 5311-11 to 5311-15, 5311-17 to 20; 5311-21).

Material studied. Cerococcus theydoni Hall : paratype f: ZIMBABWE, Theydon, on an unknown host plant, 19.xi.1928, W.J.Hall (BMNH): 1/1adf (g).

Also: ANGOLA, Caggonque, Seles, on Coffea arabica (Rubiaceae) , 14.v.1963, Ferrao (BMNH): 1/1adf (g) (as C. coffeae Vayssière ). GHANA, Bunso, on coffee, no other data (BMNH): 1/1 (very p). KENYA, Kenya colony, Nairobi, no host, Dec. 1924, F.J. Anderson (BMNH): 1/2adf (fg); Nairobi, on Jacaranda ovalifolia (Bignoniaceae) , 2.iv.1951, G. De Lotto (BMNH): 5/5adff (g). TANZANIA (as Tanganyika), Tukuya, on coffee, no date, A.G. Tapley (BMNH): 2/4adff (f–g). UGANDA. Kuwezika, on coffee, 21.i.1926, H. Hargreaves (BMNH): 1/2adff (g); Rubona, on coffee, -. ix.1931, G.H. Hopkins (BMNH): 1/2adff (fg). DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (as Congo Belge), Rutshuru, on caféier ( Coffea sp.), March 1938, J. Ghesquière (MNHN): 3/6adff (f–p); as previous April 1938 (MNHN): 2/3adff (f); as previous, May 1938 (MNHN): 1/1adf (f–g). ZIMBABWE, Harare, on coffee, 26.vii.1990, McNamara (BMNH): 1/2adff (f); Que Que, on Acalypha sp. ( Euphorbiaceae ), 17.ix.1967, C.J. Hodgson (MNHN): 2/4adff (g); Harari (as Salisbury), on Combretum molle (Combretaceae) , 10.ii.1964, C.J.Hodgson (BMNH): 1/3adff (p).

Material studied. Cerococcus coffeae Vayssière : lectotype and paralectotypes: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (as Congo Belge), Rutshuru, on Coffea arabica (Rubiaceae) , -. iii.1937, J. Ghesquière (MNHN slides no. 5311-10): 1/ 1adult female (g) + 4/6 paralectotype adff (p-g) (MNHN slides no. 5311-4, 5, 10, 16).

Mounted material. Body roundly pear-shaped, 1.7–2.1 mm long, 1.3–1.9 mm wide.

Dorsum. Eight-shaped pores of three sizes: (i) largest 17–21 µm wide, present in a random swirl-like pattern throughout most of head, thorax and anterior abdominal segments, but absent from a few small areas; also with 10– 14 along each margin of posterior abdominal segments; (ii) medium-sized 8-shaped pores, each 11–13 µm wide, present sparsely throughout, including most areas without larger 8-shaped pores and on posterior abdominal segments; and (iii) smallest 8-shaped pores, each about 5 µm widest, restricted to 0–3 near apex of stigmatic pore bands. Simple pores very sparse throughout, each 2–3 µm wide. Cribriform plates moderately small and round, each 11–18 µm wide with a broad sclerotized margin and large micropores; present in a submedial group of 2 on each side of abdominal segment IV. Dorsal setae each 8–10 µm long, extremely few but generally with 1 or 2 in apex of each stigmatic pore band. Tubular ducts each about 25 µm, and slightly broader than those on venter. Anal lobes membranous apart from inner margins which are distinctly sclerotized; each about 80 µm long with a long apical seta at least 230 µm long; fleshy setae on dorsal surface near apex both short and generally bent, posterior setae each 21–28 µm long; more anterior fleshy setae each 26–32 µm long; ventral setose setae near apex each 40– 50 µm long; medioventral setae probably absent; each lateral margin seta 16–18 µm long; each lobe with 1 or 2 medium 8-shaped pores. Anal plate 40–50 µm long, and 60–66 µm wide, apically rounded. Anal ring with 4 pairs of setae, each 105–120 µm long.

Venter. Larger 8-shaped pores absent; medium-sized pores of 2 types: (i) more marginal pores similar to those on dorsum, in a broad marginal band and also medially on all abdominal segments; and (ii) an asymmetrical pore, with one half significantly smaller than other and about 10 x 6.0–6.5 µm, present in a narrow submarginal band and also sparsely near mouthparts. Simple pore very sparse, each 2–3 µm wide. Small bilocular pores oval, each about 5 µm widest, present medially on head and thorax. Spiracular disc-pores small, each about 4.0 µm wide on venter and 5–6 µm wide on dorsum, with mainly 5 loculi; each band of uniform width throughout but widening significantly at apex, in bands 2–3 pores wide in each anterior band but narrower in posterior bands; each anterior band with 70–80 pores extending onto dorsum; posterior band bifurcated; each apex with 0–3 small 8-shaped pores and 0–2 setae; also with 3–5 quinquelocular disc-pores near each antenna. Sclerotized convex closed pores in a loose sparse band extending from each anterior leg stub to near each metaleg; variable in size, sometimes appearing somewhat similar to quinquelocular disc-pores but generally small without loculi; each mainly about 3 µm wide and 1–2 µm tall; with 2–5 anterior to each anterior spiracle, 5–8 between spiracles and 4–7 between posterior spiracle and posterior leg stub. Multilocular disc-pores, each about 7 µm wide with mostly 10–12 loculi, distributed as follows: VIII 1–5 on each side; VII 2–3 marginally + 6–10 submarginally (groups sometimes merging), and then in bands mainly 2 pores wide across more anterior segments: VI 5–8 near margin + 29–51 medially; V 7–11 near margin + 48–62 medially; IV 6–11 submarginally + 51–62 medially; III 2–8 submarginally + 18–47 medially; II sparse, totalling 14–23; also with 2–6 laterad to each metathoracic leg stub but none medially, plus often 1 or 2 between each metathoracic leg metathoracic leg and posterior spiracle, and posterior spiracle, 2–8 near each posterior spiracle and 1–3 near each anterior spiracle. Tubular ducts similar in length to those on dorsum but narrower, present throughout but perhaps less abundant than dorsally. Ventral setae slightly more abundant than on dorsum but all setose and short; preanal setae each 80–90 µm long; companion setae 25–30 µm long. Leg stubs 20– 35 µm wide, posterior pair largest. Antennae unsegmented, each 36–40 µm long, 33–40 µm wide; without either a cone-like point on apex or a setal cavity. Clypeolabral shield 165–180 µm long. Spiracular peritremes each 30–35 µm wide.

Comment. The above description of A. theydoni differs from that of Lambdin & Kosztarab (1977) in several significant features: (i) they did not note the small convex closed pores between the anterior spiracles and the metathorax; (ii) they considered that there were four sizes of 8-shaped pore on the dorsum, and (iii) they illustrate a line of multilocular disc-pores between the metathoracic leg-stubs but these are on abdominal segment II.

Adult females of A. theydoni are characterised by the following combination of character-states: (i) dorsum with three sizes of 8-shaped pores; (ii) large and medium-sized 8-shaped pores in swirls throughout head, thorax and abdomen; (iii) each stigmatic band with 0–3 minute 8-shaped pores in apex; (iv) posterior abdominal segments with a line of 10–14 large 8-shaped pores on each side dorsally; (v) cribriform plates in a submedial group of two on each side of abdominal segment IV, each with large micropores; (vi) leg stubs present; (vii) posterior stigmatic pore bands bifurcated; (viii) small convex closed pores present in a sparse band between anterior spiracles and metathoracic leg stubs; (ix) multilocular disc-pores present across all abdominal segments and laterad to metathoracic leg stubs; (x) multilocular disc-pores also present mesad to each spiracle; and (xi) antennae without either a cone-like apex or a setal cavity.

In having small convex closed pores associated with each of the spiracles, A. theydoni is also very similar to A. gabonensis and A. ornata , but both of the latter two species have a different distribution of 8-shaped pores on the dorsum and, critically, their posterior stigmatic pore bands are not bifurcated, the anterior branches having been lost. In addition, adult female A. ornatus lack leg stubs.

The adult female of A. theydoni falls within Group D in the key to species of Antecerococcus and is most similar to those of A. madagascariensis and A. yemenicus .

Figures

FIGURE 47. Antecerococcus theydoni (Hall). Adult female.