Gigantococcus pattersoni (Newstead)

Unruh, Corinne M. & Gullan, Penny J., 2008, Identification guide to species in the scale insect tribe Iceryini (Coccoidea: Monophlebidae), Zootaxa 1803 (1), pp. 1-106 : 63-64

Gigantococcus pattersoni (Newstead)

Icerya sulfurea pattersoni Newstead, 1917: 9 .

Icerya pattersoni (Newstead) ; Aisagbonhi, Nwana & Agwu (1985: 24).

Gigantococcus pattersoni (Newstead) ; Unruh & Gullan (2008: 37) .

Unmounted material. Adult female covered with bright yellow waxy secretion; arranged on dorsum in thick tufts, tufts forming long rows around margin. Ovisac well defined, made of white to yellowish wax (adapted from Newstead, 1917).

Slide-mounted material. Adult female oval (lectotype 4.9 mm long, 3.2 mm wide). Antennae 11 segmented. Eyes, mouthparts and legs as for genus. Thoracic spiracles as for genus, posterior spiracles larger than anterior spiracles. Hair-like setae scattered on all body segments, longest in clusters around margin. Flagellate setae dense on ventral head and thorax, forming sparse transverse rows on ventromedial abdomen. Simple multilocular pores, each with trilocular to quadrilocular centre and 6–8 outer loculi, scattered across dorsal surface and ventral margins. Simple multilocular pores, each with trilocular, quadrilocular, quinquelocular or hexalocular centre and 4–8 outer loculi, scattered on ventromedial head and thorax. Compound multilocular pores, each 15–20 µm in diameter, with trilocular (rarely bilocular) centre and 8–9 reniform outer loculi, with only 1 or 2 pores marginal on each segment of head and thorax. Ovisac band made of simple multilocular pores of two types: (i) larger pores forming inner band 3–5 pores wide, each pore with trilocular to quadrilocular (rarely quinquelocular) centre with 6–8 outer loculi, and (ii) smaller pores forming outer band 1 or 2 pores wide, each pore with square or star-shaped centre and 6–8 outer loculi. Compound multilocular pores, each 13–16 µm in diameter, with 6–12-lobed centre and 6–10 reniform outer loculi, scattered around perimeter of ovisac band, except anteromedially, and densest around margin. Simple multilocular pores, similar to vulvar pores, each with trilocular centre (appearing oval) and 6–8 outer loculi, forming transverse rows on ventromedial to submedial abdomen. Vulvar opening as for genus. Cicatrices round, numbering 3, central cicatrix largest. Abdominal spiracles as for genus. Anal tube as for genus; anal opening surrounded by robust hair-like setae and simple multilocular pores with round centre and 16–18 elongate outer loculi.

Type data. GHANA [=GOLD COAST]: Aburi, ex Tectona sp. (W.H. Patterson) .

Type material. Lectotype here designated: ad ♀, “ W.H. Patterson.Aburi. /No.735./ Tectona ./Newsteads No. 5/88./B.M.N.H. 1916. 136.”//“ Icerya /pattersoni./Newst./Co-type ♀./R.N. B.M.N.H. 1916. 136” ( BMNH) . Paralectotypes: ad ♀, 3 rd -instar nymph (one slide), “ W.H. Patterson Aburi. /No. 735/ Tectona ./Newstead’s No. 5/88./BM 1945, 121”//“ Icerya V/pattersoni,/Newst./Cotype ♀ and/ ♀ Juv./R.N.” ( BMNH); ad ♀ (dry material), “ Icerya pattersoni, Newst. Cotype ♀ /Aburi. Gold Coast; on Tectona sp. 1913/ W.H. Patterson. 1913.” ( BMNH) .

Taxonomic notes. Refer to the Gi. alboluteus group for discussion of similar species.

Newstead (1917) did not explain why he recognised this species as a variety of Icerya sulfurea or how he separated it from that species (now Gigantococcus sulfureus , see below). He compared the form and arrangement of the waxy tufts with those of Icerya aegyptiaca (Douglas) .