Cerococcus andinus Leonardi

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 : 152

Cerococcus andinus Leonardi

Cerococcus andinus Leonardi 1911: 11 .

Type details. ARGENTINA , Cacheuta, on Tricycla patagonica , 15.ii.1909, L. Iches. Syntype ff (see note below). Depositories: USNM: 1/2adff (labelled cotype) + 3/6 adff and 1/1 second-instar + 1 first-instar nymph (all dated 15th Feb. 1909; remounted by Lambdin, PL213a-c). BMNH: ARGENTINA , on Tricycla cachueta , 15th Feb, 1909, G. Leonardi (BM 80-241): 1/1bits. IEAP: 2/4adff (not checked).

Notes: Miller et al. (2005a) indicate that, although Lambdin & Kosztarab (1977a) state that adult female paratypes are in the USNM, Miller et al. could find no evidence of a type designation and therefore suggest that these specimens must be considered syntypes. Also the slides studied below, clearly dated August, are therefore probably not part of the type series although Miller (pers. comm.) considers that it is possible that the dates could have been incorrectly written. Miller et al. also point out that there has been some confusion about the collector of the type material. Lambdin & Kosztarab (1977) give the collector as Leonardi, but Miller et al. consider that it is clear from Leonardi's original description that the material was collected by L. Iches and sent to Leonardi by F. Lahille. Also, the International Plant Name Index does not list either Tricycla patagonica or T. cachueta ; it is not clear as to which species these names refer.

Material studied. ARGENTINA , Cachueta , on Tricycla cachueta (Nyctaginaceae) , Aug. 15 1909, Leonardi (USNM): 1/2adff (f–g); also Cachueta , on Tricycla “ patagonica ” (=? T. peruviana ), Aug. 15 1909, prob. Leonardi (USNM): 2/6adff (f).

Comment. Cerococcus andinus is currently only known from Argentina . The material studied agrees well with the description in Lambdin and Kosztarab (1977). The multilocular disc-pores are only present in five bands across the abdominal segments. It is here considered that the most anterior band is on abdominal segment II and so the most posterior band is on segment VI. There are therefore no multilocular disc-pores on segments VII and VIII or on the metathorax. Cerococcus andinus is somewhat similar to C. parrotti (see key) but is immediately separable due to the absence of leg stubs (present in the latter species) and the oval-shaped cribriform plates (roundish in C. parrotti ).

The adult female of C. andinus is characterised by the following combination of character-states: (i) 8-shaped pores on dorsum not in a reticulate pattern but in a sparse swirled pattern; (ii) 8-shaped pores on dorsum of just one size; (iii) apex of each stigmatic band with two or three 8-shaped pores; (iv) two–four cribriform plates present submedially on each side of abdominal segment IV; (v) tubular ducts of 2 sizes present, broadest medially on posterior abdominal segments, narrower abundant elsewhere; (vi) multilocular disc-pores present in bands onepore wide across abdominal segments II–VI but absent on metathorax; (vii) stigmatic pore bands bifurcated; (viii) stigmatic pore bands with few spiracular disc-pores, and (ix) leg stubs absent.

In the key to adult females of Cerococcus , C. andinus keys out close to C. parrotti from North America.