Ceroplastes japonicus Green, 1921

Wu, San-An & Wang, Xubo, 2019, A review species of the genus Ceroplastes (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) in China, Zootaxa 4701 (6), pp. 520-536 : 525-526

Ceroplastes japonicus Green, 1921

( Fig. 5 )

Ceroplastes japonicus Green, Tang, 1977: 94 ; Yang, 1982: 187; Wang, 1994: 144, 2001: 394.

Paracerostegia japonica (Green) ; Tang, 1991: 308.

Material examined. BEIJING: 3 ♀♀, Haidian, on Magnolia soulangeana (Magnoliaceae) , 25.x.2002, coll. San-an Wu. GUANGDONG: 2 ♀♀, Shaoguan, on Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae) , 14.iv.2012, coll. Ying Wang, Jun Deng & Haibin Li. GUIZHOU: 7 ♀♀, Liupanshui, on Elaeocarpus decipiens (Elaeocarpaceae) , 25.iv.2012, coll. Ying Wang & Haibin Li; 2 ♀♀, Guiyang, on Euonymus japonicus (Celastraceae) , 4.iv.2011, coll. Hu Li. HENAN: 5 ♀♀, Luoyang, on Eriobotrya japonica (Rosaceae) , 20.viii.2009, coll. San-an Wu & Yuan Lu; 1 ♀, Zhengzhou, on Ziziphus jujube (Rhamnaceae) , 17.v.2012, coll. Yuqiang Xi; 2 ♀♀, Puyang, on Diospyros kaki (Ebenaceae) , on 7.v.2013, coll. Jupu Chang; 9 ♀♀, Xinzheng, on Ziziphus jujube (Rhamnaceae) , 18.v.2010, coll. Yanzhou Zhang. HUBEI: 3 ♀♀, Jingzhou, on Gardenia jasminoides (Rubiaceae) , 7.v.2011, coll. Wenkai Wang; 1 ♀, Wuhan, on Pyracantha fortuneana (Rosaceae) , 24.v.2011, coll. Nan Nan & Xiangxiang Xia; 1 ♀, Wuhan, on Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae) , 24.v.2011, coll. Nan Nan & Xiangxiang Xia. HUNAN: 5 ♀♀, Changsha, on unknown tree, 2.x.2009, coll. San-an Wu; 4 ♀♀, Chenzhou, on Gardenia jasminoides (Rubiaceae) , 12.iv.2012, coll. Ying Wang, Jun Deng & Haibin Li. JIANGSU: 5 ♀♀, Lianyungang, on Populus sp. ( Salicaceae ), 20.iv.2009, coll. Yongxiang Wang; 2 ♀♀, Yangzhou, on Euonymus japonicus (Celastraceae) , 21.v.2007, coll. San-an Wu; 2 ♀♀, Nanjing, on Pyracantha fortuneana (Rosaceae) , 5.v.2011, coll. Nan Nan & Xiangxiang Xia; 2 ♀♀, Jiujiang, on Elaeocarpus decipiens (Elaeocarpaceae) , 14.v.2011, coll. Nan Nan & Xiangxiang Xia. SHAANXI: 1 ♀, Baoji, on unknown tree, 4.ii.2012, coll. Nan Nan. SHANDONG: 4 ♀♀, Weifang, on Diospyros kaki (Ebenaceae) , 8.v.2010, coll. Yangzhou Zhang; 2 ♀♀, Weifang, on Platanus orientalis (Platanaceae) , 8.v.2011, coll. Yangzhou Zhang. SHANGHAI: 4 ♀♀, Longgang, on Gardenia jasminoides (Rubiaceae) , 10.iv.2011, coll. Hongliang Li. SHANXI: 4 ♀♀, Yongji, on Diospyros kaki (Ebenaceae) , 13.i.2011, coll. San-an Wu. SICHUAN: 2 ♀♀, Chengdu, on Cinnamomum japonicum (Lauraceae) , 1.xii.2010, coll. Xian Li; 3 ♀♀, Chengdu, on C. japonicum , 29.iv.2012, coll. Jun Deng. ZHEJIANG: 5 ♀♀, Yuyao, on C. camphora (Lauraceae) , 29.xii.2010, coll. Qiang Shen; 1 ♀, Zhoushan, on unknown plant, 2.xi.2005, coll. Saijun Yang.

Distribution in China. Ceroplastes japonicus is native to eastern Asia ( Borchsenius 1960), though Qin et al. (1998) had a different opinion. We agree with Borchsenius’ view of it being native to eastern Asia, based on its distribution and preferred hosts (see below). It has since spread to the eastern and southern parts of Europe ( Fetykó & Kozár 2012). In China, it is widely distributed in warm temperate and subtropical areas, occurring as far south as Shaoguan in Guangdong, as far west as Baoji in Shaanxi, and has been recorded as far north as Lingwu in Ningxia ( Wang 2009), with high populations in North, East and Central China.

Host-plants. According to a survey by Wuhan Institute of Landscape Science, C. japonicus occurs on 103 plant species belonging to 71 genera in 41 families in China ( Tang 1991). Preferred hosts are Camellia japonica , Diospyros kaki , Elaeocarpus decipiens , Gardenia jasminoides and Ziziphus jujube .

Biology. In China, C. japonicus develops one generation per year, overwinters as mated young adult females, and reproduces bisexually. The immature stages live on the leaves, and migrate to branches as young adult females ( Jiang & Gu 1988; Chai & Xie 2004; He 2006; and Xiao et al. 2007).

Remarks. Good descriptions and illustrations of the adult female were given by Tang (1991) and Camporese & Pellizzari (1994). Xie (1994) described and illustrated all three female immature stages, of which the first-instar nymph and the second-instar female nymph agree with those described by Camporese & Pellizzari (1994), however, the third-instar female nymph is obviously a misidentification of the second-instar male. Qin et al. (1998) considered C. japonicus might be a synonym of C. floridensis , based on only a small sample collected from China. Based on molecular data ( Deng et al. 2012) and a morphological study of large samples, C. japonicus is considered here as a valid species. The adult female of C. japonicus is characterized as follows: absence of a mediodorsal clear area; cephalic and posterolateral clear area undivided; ventral tubular ducts each with a short, very swollen inner ductule, present in a submarginal band extending from near each antenna to near each anal lobe; legs each without a tibio-tarsal articulatory sclerosis; multilocular pores numerous on abdominal venter, and present in a small group of 2–6 multilocular pores near base of each coxa and near stigmatic atrium; stigmatic setae bullet-shaped, forming a continuous row along body margin between anterior and posterior stigmatic clefts on each side, with 2–7 marginal bristle-shaped setae (of which fewer than 4 setae are contiguous) mingled with stigmatic setae; dorsum usually with filamentous ducts; and antennae normally 6-segmented.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Live appearances. (1) C. centroroseus Chen, on Magnolia grandiflora (Magnoliaceae), Yunnan, Kunming; (2) C. ceriferus (Fabricius), on Diospyros kaki (Ebenaceae), Beijing; (3) C. cirripediformis Comstock, on Duranta repens cv. variegata (Verbenaceae), Yunnan, Xishuangbanna; (4) C. floridensis Comstock, on Cinnamomum japonicum (Lauraceae), Fujian, Yongan; (5) C. japonicus (Green), on Platanus acerifolia (Platanaceae), Beijing; (6) C. kunmingensis (Tang & Xie), on Magnolia grandiflora (Magnoliaceae), Yunnan, Dali.