Antecerococcus passerinae (Brain) Brain, 2016

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 : 95-97

Antecerococcus passerinae (Brain) , comb. nov.

( Fig. 35 )

Cerococcus passerinae Brain 1920: 121 .

Type details. SOUTH AFRICA, Montagu, on Passerina ericoides , C.P.v.d. Merwe. Depositories: USNM: lectotype (designated by Lambdin and Kosztarab 1977: 176) adf (f-g) on one slide + 1/5 paralectotype adff (f-p). SANC: as for lectotype: 6/7 paralectotype adff (mainly p).

Material studied. Lectotype: SOUTH AFRICA, Montagu, on Passerina ericoides (Thymelaeaceae) , 10.x.1914, C.P.v.d. Merwe (USNM; Brain #27): 1/1adf (f–g); paralectotype ff: same data but Oct. 1914 (USNM): 1/5adff (f–p); also same data but spelt Montagu (SANC): 6/7adff (mainly p). Also: Orange Free State, Bloemfontein, 28.ii.1966, on Rhus sp. ( Anacardiaceae ), J. Munting (SANC): 1/1adf (g).

Note: Description an amalgam of all type specimens.

Mounted material. Body pear-shaped, small, 1.3–1.7 mm long, and 1.1–1.3 mm wide.

Dorsum. Eight-shaped pores of 3 sizes: (i) a large rounded pore, each 15–19 x 9–10 µm, in quite wide bands around apex of each stigmatic pore band plus a sparse band along margin, and in 2 sparse transverse bands extending medially from each stigmatic pore bands; also with a sparse group dorsad to each antenna; also with a line of 5 or 6 pores on each side of posterior abdominal segments; (ii) intermediate-sized pores, mostly 6– 8 x 4.5– 5.5 µm, present throughout dorsum but becoming smaller posteriorly, with those on more posterior abdominal segments as small as smallest pores in stigmatic pore bands; and (iii) smallest pores, each 3– 4 x 3.0–3.5 µm, on posterior abdominal segments and with 2–8 within apex of each stigmatic pore band. Simple pores, each about 3 µm wide, sparse. Cribriform plates roundish, each 11–16 µm wide with a narrow margin and large micropores, in a group of 2 or 3 submedially on each side of abdominal segment IV. Dorsal setae extremely few, each setose, and mainly 5 µm long. Tubular ducts with each outer ductule about 28 µm long, inner ductules quite short; outer ductules slightly broader than those on venter; abundant throughout. Anal lobes mainly membranous, sclerotizations restricted to small areas on inner margins, without obvious folding; most setae on lobes quite short; each apical seta about 140 µm long; both dorsal fleshy setae somewhat bent, more basal setae each 25–27 µm long, more apical setae each 15–18 µm long; ventral setae near apex each 13–15 µm long and stoutly setose; medioventral setae absent; outer margin setae each about 8 µm long; each lobe with about 2 small 8-shaped pores. Median anal plate bluntly quadrate, sometimes with a serrate apex, 33–40 µm long and 43–50 µm wide at base. Anal ring with 4 pairs of setae, each about 75 µm long.

Venter. Derm membranous. Eight-shaped pores of 1 size, similar to intermediiate pores on dorsum, each 9–10 x 5.5–6.0 µm, in a narrow marginal band on head and thorax and in sparse segmental bands across abdominal segments; also 2 present near clypeolabral shield. Simple pores sparse. Small bilocular pores, each about 5 x 3 µm, frequent medially on head and thorax. Spiracular disc-pores each 4–6 µm wide with mainly 5 loculi; pores in a distinct group near each peritreme and then sparse but broadening to a fairly broad apex; posterior band bifurcated; each band with 45–50 pores; also with 4–8 small 8-shaped pores associated with apex; also with 1–3 quinquelocular disc-pores just laterad to each antenna. Small convex closed pores absent. Multilocular disc-pores, each 7–8 µm wide with mainly 10 loculi, distributed as follows (distribution hard to determine on most specimens): abdominal segment VIII 0–5 on each side submarginally; VII 7–13 submarginally on each side of vulva; VI 1–7 submarginally + 19–42 medially; V 2–7 submarginally + 19–40 medially; IV 1–6 submarginally + 18–31 medially; III 1–3 submarginally + 15–25 medially; II 1–5 submarginally + 11–23 medially; and 0–7 pores present laterad to metathoracic leg stubs. Tubular ducts very slightly narrower than those on dorsum, present throughout. Ventral setae showing nothing distinctive; preanal setae each 50 µm long; smaller companion seta short. Leg stubs small. Antennae unsegmented, each 21–27 µm long, 18–25 µm wide, with 6–8 fleshy setae; without either a cone-shaped apex or a setal cavity. Clypeolabral shield small, 105–110 long. Spiracular peritremes each 20–23 µm wide.

Comment. The above description of the adult female of A. passerinae is very similar to that of Lambdin and Kosztarab (1977) except that they did not mention the reduction in size of the dorsal intermediate-sized 8-shaped pores on the abdomen. The adult female of A. passerinae can be diagnosed by the following combination of character-states: (i) dorsum with three sizes of 8-shaped pores; (ii) largest 8-shaped pores restricted to around margin and very sparsely in radial bands from each stigmatic pore band; (iii) intermediate-sized pores present throughout rest of dorsum but becoming smaller posteriorly; (iv) each stigmatic band with 2–8 smallest 8-shaped pores in apex; (v) posterior abdominal segments with five or six largest 8-shaped pores on each margin; (vi) cribriform plates in a submedial group of two or three on each side of abdominal segment IV; (vii) leg stubs present; (viii) posterior stigmatic bands bifurcated; (ix) multilocular disc-pores in seven transverse bands on abdomen and occasionally on metathorax, and (x) antennae without either a cone-like apex or a setal cavity.

The adult female of A. passerinae falls within Group D in the key to species of Antecerococcus , and keys out close to A. andamanensis , A. oumeensis and A. thesii .

Variation. The specimen from Bloemfontein keyed out well to A. passerinae but differs as follows: (i) the larger 8-shaped pores are more widespread than in the type series, partricularly on anterior abdominal segments; (ii) the small 8-shaped pores within the apex of each stigmatic pore band are larger, almost as large as the intermediate-sized pores, and are more abundant, more or less forming a band through the apex of the disc-pore band; (iii) ventral 8-shaped pores are absent from near the clypeolabral shield, and (iv) the intermediate-sized 8- shaped pores on the dorsum do not become smaller until posterior to the cribriform plates. It is possible that this specimen is a different, cryptic species but, until more specimens are collected, it is here considered to be A. passerinae .

Figures

FIGURE 35. Antecerococcus passerinae (Brain). Adult female.