Sterculicoccus tafoensis Hodgson, 2008

Hodgson, Chris, 2008, A new genus and two new species of soft scale insect (Sternorrhyncha, Coccoidea, Coccidae) from Africa, ZooKeys 3 (3), pp. 57-76 : 59-62

Sterculicoccus tafoensis Hodgson , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E30D4191-C87F-472A-A2FF-B745A2954F05

Material studied. Holotype female: Ghana (Gold Coast), Tafo , on Triplochiton scleroxylon K. Schum. (Sterculiaceae), 5.XI.1945, E.O. Boafo (BMNH): 1/1 ad ♀ in good condition.

Paratype ♀. As for holotype: 5/5 ad ♀ in fair to good condition (BMNH, USNM) .

Adult female ( Fig. 1 )

Unmounted material. Not seen.

Mounted material. Broadly oval, body length 2.4-5.4 mm; width 2.0- 4.5 mm. Basic structure as in generic diagnosis.

Dorsum. Derm membranous, apart from a narrow crescentic sclerotisation around anterior margin of anal cleft. Derm with abundant small areolations, each polygonal in shape, with a central dorsal microductule. Dorsal setae variable: (i) a larger slightly spinose seta with a sharp apex and well-developed basal socket; each 16-18 µm long; apparently restricted to a broad submarginal band, plus a few occasionally up margins of anal cleft; (ii) a slightly smaller, more setose seta, each 12-16 µm long, in a broad area around anal plates, and (iii) a short, fine seta, each about 8-15 µm long, frequent throughout rest of dorsum, but also with 0-3 setae up to 100 µm long on either side of large areolation dorsad to mouthparts. Dorsal pores of 2 types: (i) a small convex, closed pore, each about 3 µm wide, frequent throughout; and (ii) a small microductule with a narrow outer ductule about 5 µm long, with sclerotised pore about 1.0- 1.5 µm wide and an inner ductule quite long and swollen at proximal end; abundant throughout with one in each areolation. Dorsal tubular ducts, dorsal tubercles and preopercular pores absent. Anal plates together approximately oval, each plate with a rounded outer angle and with dorsal surface covered in micro-ridges arranged in a polygonal pattern; without a small additional triangular anal plate between lateral plates anteriorly; each plate 185-210 µm long, combined width 140-165 µm; each plate with 4 setae; 2 along inner margin, 1 near apex (each 33-38 µm long) and one dorso-laterally 45-50 µm long. Ano-genital fold possibly absent; posterior opening of anal tube apparently with a sclerotised O-shaped margin, with a group of 10-18 short setae, each 25-35 µm long, medially between ventral arms of anal ring posteriorly. Anal plates without strong inner apodemes. Anal ring with 3 pairs of anal ring setae, each about 125 µm long, all setae attached to ventral half of anal ring; anal ring apparently without anal ring pores; anal tube quite short, anal ring lying beneath anal plates. Eyespots not detected.

Margin. Marginal setae all short and spinose with parallel margins, each 11-17 µm long, in a marginal band 2-3 setae wide; basal socket broad; with several hundred around margin, appearing to be on ventral surface; setae on margins of anal lobe not differentiated. Stigmatic clefts absent or extremely shallow, each with a small area of sclerotisation on venter which encloses outermost spiracular disc-pores; without stigmatic spines.

Venter. Derm entirely membranous. Pregenital disc-pores quite large, each 8-10 µm wide, with mainly 5 or 6 loculi; restricted to a small group of 18-30 (total) apparently posterior to anal opening, probably with 8-20 on each side. Spiracular disc-pores each mainly with 5 loculi, present in a wide band between spiracles and margin, with perhaps 45-55 in anterior band and 50-70 in posterior band. Ventral microducts, each with ductule about 5 µm long and pore perhaps 2 µm widest; abundant throughout but perhaps least frequent medially on abdomen. Other ventral pores, including preantennal pores, absent. Ventral tubular ducts of 2 types: (i) ducts with a long, narrow outer ductule (each about 25 µm long and 2 µm wide), with a narrow, much shorter inner ductule about 14 µm long, and with a fairly small glandular end; in a fairly broad submarginal band, which extends medially past spiracles; also with a few on either side of mouthparts; absent medially on thorax and abdomen; (ii) much larger ducts, each with a long, narrow outer ductule about 33-40 µm long and 3 µm wide, with a sclerotised outer orifice, and a narrow, much shorter inner ductule about 20-28 µm long, and a fairly small glandular end; present in a dense marginal band about 2-3 ducts wide, intermingled with marginal setae. Ventral setae abundant, particularly submarginally, where quite fine, each 7-9 µm long, with a wide basal socket; some medially rather longer, longest about 27 µm long; pregenital setae not differentiated; with 2 pairs of interantennal setae, these similar to ventral submarginal setae, each 16-28 µm long.

Antennae greatly reduced, each about 80-105 µm long; with 6 ring-like segments; scape with 3 setae, 1 long and flagellate (about 40 µm long); pedicel with 2 setae, both long and flagellate + a campaniform sensilla; segment III with 3 setae, IV & V with 1 fleshy seta + 1 hair-like seta, and VI with 3 fleshy setae, 2 hair-like setae and 3 stiff setae. Mouthparts proportionately rather large; clypeolabral shield about 365-410 µm long; labium with 4 pairs of setae. Spiracles large, each with a large apodeme; each anterior peritreme 130-150 µm wide, posterior peritreme 140-165 µm wide; length of apodemes about 88-100 µm. Legs extremely reduced but with large coxal apodemes; segmentation difficult to discern but each coxa with long, flagellate setae (each 58-65 µm long), trochanter + femur with 1 long flagellate seta and, on each side, 2 campaniform sensilla; tibia + tarsus very short, with one short seta; tarsal digitules parallel-sided and about 33 µm long; claw digitules similar but shorter, each 26-28 µm long; claw about 13 µm long, without a denticle. Vulva probably located between segments VII and VIII.

Comment. S. tafoensis new species is the only species currently known in this genus but is readily separated from other possibly similar species by the presence of: (i) a reticulate pattern of microridges on the dorsal surface of the anal plates, (ii) the presence of two types of ventral tubular ducts, the larger ducts forming a marginal band and the smaller ducts in a broad submarginal band, and (iii) marginal setae of one type only, all spinose, in a band 2 to 3 setae wide around the entire margin, and not differentiated into stigmatic spines at each stigmatic area.

Etymology. The specific name tafoensis is composed of Tafo, the name of the site in Ghana where this species was collected, and -ensis (Latin), a suffix denoting place or locality.

Figures

Fig. 1. Sterculicoccus tafoensis Hodgson, sp. n., adult female.Where: A = dorsal setae; C = dorsal microductule; D = dorsal simple porte; F = dorsal view of anal plates; G = ventral view of anal plates; H = microridges on dorsal surface of anal plate; J = marginal seta; L = pregenital disc-pore; M = spiracular disc-pore; N = ventral microduct; P = larger ventral tubular duct; Q = smaller ventral tubular duct; R = antenna; S = claw, and T = ventral setae.