Ceroplastes castelbrancoi Almeida

Hodgson, Chris J. & Peronti, Ana L. B. G., 2012, 3372, Zootaxa 3372, pp. 1-265 : 103-104

Ceroplastes castelbrancoi Almeida

(Map fig. 104)

Ceroplastes aff. longicauda ; Almeida, 1969: 17. (Misidentification.)

Ceroplastes castelbrancoi Almeida, 1973: 2 .

Material examined: Syntypes: Angola, Sa da Bandeira , on twigs of quince [ Cydonia oblonga ] ( CZLP): 4/?4 (2 slides with some venter and dorsum, other 2 slides just dorsums; poor) .

Note. This material was too poor to illustrate and many characters were absent or could not be found. Data in [..] brackets after Almeida (1969).

Unmounted material. “Waxy test, white, soft, smooth and shiny; conical with large base; cephalic and lateral margin slightly expanded, adhering to the twigs of the host plant; wax plates each delimited by light grooves with a punctiform dark line on the centre, 1 central, 1 cephalic, 3 lateral pairs and 1 posterior plus a major depression, marking the apices of the anal process; the apex is marked by a slight depression in some individuals, in others by small projection with the remains of the nymphal exuviae at the top. Ventral surface forming a concavity in the middle; stigmatic secretion lines very thin, white. The largest specimens measure 13 mm long, 11 mm wide, 9 mm high. Body of adult female brown, with dark spots, tall, laterally compressed; dorsum smooth and shiny; apex with little nipple-like process in some specimens, regions corresponding to wax plates well defined in the marginal region; submarginal processes each represented by a protuberance; posterior plate entirely filled by caudal process, conical, strong and long, black, directed backwards horizontally. Length of body, 5.5 mm; length of the caudal process, 2.8 mm.” (translation of Almeida, 1969: 17).

Mounted material. Body oval, probably rather convex, with shallow, stigmatic clefts; dorsum probably with distinct tubercles. Caudal process (present on only 1 specimen) appearing to be about 1/3 rd body length. Length of the body approximately 2.5–6.25 mm long and 0.65– 4.5 mm wide.

Dorsum. Derm entirely membranous when young except for heavily sclerotised caudal process; derm becoming more sclerotised on old individuals. Caudal process only measurable on 1 specimen: 2.1 mm long; with a few simple microducts but lacking other pores and setae. Derm probably with eight clear areas (not all located), distributed as usual. Dorsal setae each bluntly spinose, margins almost parallel, each subequal to or slightly longer than width of basal-socket (length 4–5 µm; width of basal socket 4–5 µm); quite frequent throughout but absent from visible clear areas. Dorsal pores: (i) loculate microducts of rusci-type most abundant, those with 2 satellite loculi scarce; pores with 3 or more loculi not detected; abundant throughout but absent from clear areas; presence of wax plate lines unknown; and (ii) simple microducts not detected. Preopercular pores unclear but considered to be present in a transverse band. Anal plates and associated structures not present on available material and therefore details unknown.

Margin. Marginal setae strongly setose; each 13–23 µm long; frequency uncertain but with 2 on 1 side between clefts; anal lobes not present on available material and so number of anal lobe setae unknown. Stigmatic clefts shallow, each with a line of conical, bluntly pointed, stigmatic setae, each group broadening to 2–4 setae deep in each cleft; central, most dorsal seta in each cleft largest (12.5–15.0 µm long; 7.5–10.0 µm wide at base), setae becoming progressively smaller laterally (smallest 9–11 µm long, 6.5–7.0 µm wide at base); stigmatic setae extending some distance on either side of each cleft (possibly sometimes meeting between clefts but groups also sometimes separated by a few marginal setae); with about 35+–<50 in each cleft (frequency only countable on 1 specimen). Eyespots not detected.

Venter. Derm entirely membranous. Pregenital disc-pores abundant around genital opening and across preceding segment; a few also present in segments V and IV plus a group of 3 posterior to 1 metacoxa. Spiracular disc-pores details unknown; with none extending medially past peritreme. Ventral microducts abundant in a submarginal band; distribution elsewhere uncertain. Ventral tubular ducts, each with a long outer ductule about 22.5 µm long and a narrow inner ductule with a terminal gland, present in cephalic region and associated with abdominal mediolateral folds (3 detected in head region, 1 in abdomen). Submarginal setae each about 10 µm long; frequency unknown.

Antennae each with 6 segments, with 2 small pseudo-articulations in segment III; total length 240–250 µm. Clypeolabral shield about 230 µm long. Spiracles: width of peritremes 70–75 µm. Legs well developed, each with a distinct tibio-tarsal articulatory sclerosis; each claw without a denticle; claw digitules both broad and slightly shorter than tarsal digitules; dimensions of metathoracic legs (µm): coxa 115–140; trochanter + femur 160–180 [174]; tibia 110–125 [120]; tarsus 70–80 [76], and claw 20–30.

Discussion. Although adult female C. castelbrancoi appear to be very similar to C. eucleae and C. eugeniae, Almeida (1969) states (and illustrates) that mature C. castelbrancoi have a more elongate caudal process, which extends some distance posteriorly (rather less than one third of total body length) whereas on the other 2 species it is shorter, conical and extends dorso-posteriorly. As indicated above, only one of the available specimens of C. castelbrancoi had a caudal process and it did appear to be quite long but perhaps no longer than that on C. eugeniae . The status of C. castelbrancoi , therefore, remains uncertain until more material is collected, although it clearly belongs to the C. rusci -group and is close to C. eugeniae and may be a synonym of the latter. At the present time, it is only known from Angola on Cydonia oblonga (Rosaceae) .