Abrococcus Zheng & Wu, 2023

Zheng, Xinyi & Wu, San’An, 2023, A new genus and species of the scale insect family Qinococcidae (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) from China, Zootaxa 5264 (3), pp. 355-368 : 356

Genus Abrococcus Zheng & Wu gen. n.

Type species: Abrococcus cunninghamia Zheng & Wu sp. n. by current designation and monotypy

Genus diagnosis: adult female. Body elongate. Antennae each 10 segmented, located close together on apex of head. Clypeolabral shield and labium present. Legs developed, tibia with a tuft of long setae on distal end, claw with 2 denticles. All spiracles with pores in atrium; abdominal spiracles numbering 8 pairs, with anteriormost 5 pairs developed and posteriormost 3 pairs atrophied. Anal ring simple. Vulva opening oriented longitudinally. Pores of several types present, including simple pores, and multilocular pores each with 3–5 central loculi.

First-instar nymph. Body elongate. Antennae each 7 segmented. Two pairs of distinct, long sclerotized bars present dorsally and ventrally on head and prothorax. One pair of abdominal spiracles present. One cicatrix present ventrally on abdominal segment VIII.

Etymology. The genus name is derived from “ Abro -” from the Greek adjective “ abros ”, meaning “pretty” or “graceful”, combined with “ coccus ”, latinised from the Greek word “kokkos” meaning “scale insect”. The name is masculine.

Remarks. Abrococcus gen. n. can be recognized as a member of Qinococcidae because it has the following characters. The first-instar nymph has: (i) 7-segmented antennae; (ii) claw with 1 denticle. The second- and thirdinstar nymphs are: (iii) cyst-like, legs lacking and antennae reduced, plate-like; (iv) have simple pores and multilocular disc pores present, with sieve-like multilocular disc pores present in the atria of the developed abdominal spiracles. The adult female has (v) 10-segmented antennae; (vi) vulva opening oriented longitudinally; (vii) tibia with a tuft of long setae on distal end; (viii) claw with 2 denticles. The wing of adult male has (ix) a club-shaped pterostigma (Ptst), media forming clear lines, branching at middle as M 1+2 and M 3+4, cubitus anterior (CuA), cubitus posterior (CuP) and anal fold (af) present, and radial sector (Rs) weak.

The adult female of Abrococcus gen. n. is similar to that of Neogreenia MacGillivray in having developed legs, 10-segmented antennae, antennal pedicel with 3 campaniform sensilla, each tibia with a tuft of long setae on distal end; and 2 small cicatrices. It differs from the latter in having (character states in Neogreenia in parentheses): (i) anteriormost 5 pairs of abdominal spiracles developed, posteriormost 3 pairs atrophied, and all of abdominal spiracles with sieve-like multilocular disc pores in atrium (anteriormost 6 pairs of abdominal spiracles developed, posteriormost 2 pairs atrophied, and atrophied abdominal spiracles without sieve-like multilocular disc pores in atrium); and (ii) small simple pores present ventrally on the posteriormost 5 segments of abdomen (simple pores only present on segment III of abdomen); and (iii) multilocular disc pores each with 2 central pores, absent (present).

The first-instar nymph of Abrococcus gen. n. is similar to Qinococcus Wu in having 2 pairs of sclerotized bars (one dorsal, the other ventral) on the head and prothorax. It differs by having 1 pair of abdominal spiracles and 1 cicatrix, whereas the first-instar nymph of Qinococcus has 5 pairs of abdominal spiracles and 2 cicatrices.