Ceroplastes quadrilineatus Newstead

Hodgson, Chris J. & Peronti, Ana L. B. G., 2012, 3372, Zootaxa 3372, pp. 1-265 : 183-185

Ceroplastes quadrilineatus Newstead

( Fig. 83; Map fig. 105)

Ceroplastes quadrilineatus Newstead, 1910b: 193 .

Gascardia quadrilineata (Newstead) ; De Lotto, 1965: 182.

Material examined: Lectotype ♀ (here designated): Uganda, left label: Colonial Office / Ent. Res. Com. (Trop. Africa) / No 397 / On Annona muricata / Kyetume / Nr. Kampala. Type / ♀ / 22.II.10; right label: Ceroplastes / quadrilineatus / Newstead / Co-type ♀ / BM 1945, 121 ( BMNH) 1/1 (in fair condition but body split open and dimensions uncertain; anal plates and most legs missing).

Paralectotype ♀: data as for lectotype ( BMNH): 4/4 (very poor, in bits) .

Also: Uganda, N'dege, on Ficus sp. (bark cloth), 22.iv.1910, no coll. ( BMNH, Colonial Office, Ent. Res. Com., (Trop. Afr.), No. 397): 4/10 (mostly very poor) (also mentioned by Newstead in his original description (1910b)); also Kampala, on Ficus natalensis , 9.vi.1958, G. De Lotto ( BMNH): 4/4 (mainly fair).

Note. Main description taken from lectotype series, data in (..) brackets from material on Ficus natelensis .

Unmounted material. "Test of adult female — Dorsum with a pair of large divergent pyriform bodies, the narrowed portions of which meet together immediately over the anal orifice; these very prominent swellings are a dull crimson colour with distinct and well-defined narrow transverse blackish bands; under a low magnification the banding has the appearance of striae, so that these very prominent portions of the test bear a striking resemblance to a pair of miniature shells of the genus Gryphaea ; sides bulging and somewhat irregular in outline, colour sootycrimson; stigmatic bands pure white, narrow, extending right across the bulging portion of the test, forming 4 conspicuous white lines (2 on each side) against the darker portion of the wax. The wax immediately beneath the surface is white with a pinkish tinge; it contains a large percentage of water, and is soft and readily injured by pressure. Length, 6 mm, width 6 mm, depth 5–7 mm." ( Newstead, 1910b: 193).

Mounted material. Body probably rather roundly oval and convex, with distinct, shallow, stigmatic clefts; dorsum possibly with small tubercles. Caudal process broad and stout. Body length about 6 (2.5–5.0) mm, width about 4 (1.5–3.5) mm.

Dorsum. Derm membranous except for heavily sclerotised caudal process. Caudal process rather large, about 3 (0.9–2.5) mm wide and 3 (0.8–2.5) mm long. Derm apparently with 7 clear areas, dorsal area either very small or absent (small); each clear area with a few simple pores and short setae. Dorsal setae mostly quite long, rather longer than width of basal-socket, length 6.5–8.0 (5–8) µm; basal socket width 4.5–5.0 µm, with sides converging to a narrow, blunt apex; those near margins shorter and bluntly spinose; frequent throughout but rather sparse in all clear areas. Dorsal pores of 2 types, both fairly abundant: (i) loculate microducts of rusci-type, each with 1–4 satellite loculi, rusci-type pores and those with 2 satellite loculi most abundant but pores with 3 satellite loculi frequent, sometimes almost as abundant as those with 2 satellite loculi, particularly in areas where wax-plate lines might be expected; pores with 4 satellite loculi rare or absent; each pore about 6.5–8.0 µm widest, long branched inner filament rarely visible; abundant throughout but absent from all clear areas; wax-plate lines not detected but considered to be probably present on younger specimens; and (ii) simple microduct possibly present throughout but most obvious in clear areas. Preopercular pores in a line of 15–25 (20–38) in a curve along anterior margins of anal plates. Anal plates together oval to almost circular; length of each plate 160–175 (–186) µm, width of single plate 85–90 µm; each with 3 large dorsal setae, each 60–75 µm long, + 1 short seta set some way along posterior margin (setae all missing on lectotype series). Anal ring setae each perhaps 130–140 µm long.

Margin. Marginal setae stoutly setose, each up to about 30 µm long; with 6–8 between eyespots anteriorly, 3 between eyespots and anterior stigmatic setae, and 4–6 setae on each side between stigmatic clefts and infrequent on each side of abdomen and infrequent on each side of abdomen; each anal lobe with 2–4 larger setae, each about 60–80 µm long. Stigmatic clefts distinct, each with a group of roundly conical stigmatic setae, each group about as wide as long, particularly on young specimens; anterior group with 47–52 (49–80) setae and posterior groups with 53–56 (53–75) setae; each group generally with a noticeably larger seta (each about 15–18 (14–15) µm wide and 12–13 µm long) medially towards dorsal apex of group; other setae subequal in size, each 10–12 (9–10) µm wide and long. Eyespots each 30–35 µm wide.

Venter. Derm entirely membranous. Pregenital disc-pores abundant around genital opening (segment VII) and across preceding segment, with rather fewer in V, and (medially on each segment): IV 5, III 4, II 3 and 1 (0) on metathorax. Spiracular disc-pores present in broad bands of at least 100 pores but not extending medially. Ventral microducts showing nothing distinctive. Ventral tubular ducts each perhaps without a filamentous inner ductule; absent in cephalic region but present associated with anogenital folds on abdomen; in a group of 3 on segment VI and 1 on segment V, these only visible on 1 side of 1 non-type specimen. Submarginal setae frequent, each 11–14 µm long.

Antennae each with 6 segments, but with 1 to several distinct pseudo-articulations in segment III; total length 300–305 (260–285) µm. Clypeolabral shield about 185 (185) µm long. Spiracles: width of peritremes 95–105 (90–118) µm. Legs well developed, each with a small tibio-tarsal articulatory sclerosis; each claw without a denticle; claw digitules both broad and slightly shorter than tarsal digitules; dimensions of prothoracic legs (µm): coxa 108 (115–120); trochanter + femur 170 (165–170), tibia 108 (100–105), tarsus 75 (65–70), and claw 22 (22).

Discussion. C. quadrilineatus is very similar to C. elaeis and C. mori , both described as new above, but differs from C. elaeis in having loculate microducts with 3 satellite loculi frequent in wax-plate lines (absent) and it differs from C. mori in having about twice as many stigmatic setae in each cleft.

Because C. mori was misidentified as C. quadrilineatus (see under that species above), it is not clear as to which species the other records in Hodgson (1969a) refer. However, as C. quadrilineatus was only noted from Uganda in this study, it is likely that the records from Zimbabwe refer to C. mori . On this basis, C. quadrilineatus is only known on Annona sp. (Annonaceae) and Ficus sp. (Moraceae) from Uganda. The records in Couturier et al. (1985) from Côte d’Ivoire refer to C. theobromae Newstead , see below.