Pseudotectococcus Hempel, 1934

Hodgson, Chris & Miller, Dug, 2010, A Review of the Eriococcid Genera (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) of South America 2459, Zootaxa 2459 (1), pp. 1-101 : 76

Pseudotectococcus Hempel

Pseudotectococcus Hempel, 1934: 139 .

Type species: Psuedotectococcus anonae Hempel 1934: 139-140 .

Generic diagnosis. Adult female ( Fig. 37 ). Galls of both sexes on upper leaf surface, those of females slightly rounder and blunter than those of males; gall openings all ventral. Adult females rather globose, with rounded head, broad across thorax and tapering posteriorly, but abdomen cone-shaped. Dorsum. Derm membranous. Setae spinose and conical; in fairly distinct bands across each abdominal segment but less clear across each thoracic segment and with a group anteriorly on head. Macrotubular ducts rather large, with a stout outer ductule; each with a conspicuous rim around dermal orifice. Microtubular ducts with a lightly sclerotised rim on derm and an undivided main duct. Anal lobes strongly protruding, narrow, apically acute, distinctly sclerotised. Median plate generally distinct and sclerotised. Anal ring located beneath median lobe, without an anal tube but with 3 pairs of setae. Margin. Poorly defined but demarcated by an uneven band of spinose setae, similar to those on dorsum but generally shorter and thinner. Venter. Setae mainly rather flagellate. Macrotubular ducts clearly different from those on dorsum, each outer ductule generally shorter but with a slightly longer, narrow inner ductule; generally restricted to abdominal segments. Ventral microtubular ducts perhaps slightly shorter and stouter than dorsal microtubular ducts, each with a more distinctly sclerotised dermal pore. Loculate pores mainly 5-locular: present in broad bands across abdominal segments II–VI. Cruciform pores absent. Antennae probably 3–5 segmented but segmentation rather obscure. Frontal lobes and antennal tubercles absent. Clypeolabral shield normal; labium probably 2 segmented. Legs moderately well developed, sometimes distorted; hind coxae swollen, with or without translucent pores; tarsal digitules slightly longer than claw digitules; claw long and slender, with 1 digitule significantly broader than other and both longer than claw; each claw generally with a small denticle near apex. Vulva placed between segments VII and VIII.

Apparently restricted to Annonaceae .

Comment. Pseudotectococcus currently contains 2 species, the type species ( P. anonae Hempel ) and P. rolliniae Hodgson & Gonçalves , both known only from Brazil. For full descriptions of the adult females of both species, and all other stages of P. rolliniae , see Hodgson et al. (2004).

Adult female Pseudotectococcus can be separated from those of other South American eriococcids by the following combination of characters: (i) elongate, sharply pointed abdomen; (ii) ventral abdominal segments with many loculate pores; (iii) antennae reduced, 3–5 segmented; (iv) anal lobes well developed and elongate; and (v) macrotubular ducts on dorsum and venter different in structure.

Figures

FIGURE 37. Pseudotectococcus anonae Hempel. Adult female, where A = dorsal spinose seta; B = dorsal microtubular duct; E = dorsal macrotubular duct; G = dorsal view of anal lobes; H = ventral view of anal lobes; K = ventral microtubular duct; L = ventral loculate pore; P = anterior spiracle; R = marginal spinose seta; V = antenna, and W = metathoracic leg (modified after Hodgson et al., 2004).