Stictococcus vayssierei Richard, 1971

Hodgson, Chris, 2020, A review of neococcid scale insects (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha) based on the morphology of the adult males, Zootaxa 4765 (1), pp. 1-264 : 128-130

Stictococcus vayssierei Richard ( Fig. 52 )

Stictococcus vayssierei Richard 1971 , 592. Type data: Cameroon, Yaoundé , on Manihot esculenta , 13/12/1969. Holotype, first instar. Type depository: MNHN.

Material examined. Paratypes. Cameroon, Yaoundi, on Manihot esculenta , 13.xii.1969, no collector ( MNHN 7611/4 & 5): 2/2ad ♂♂ (good, except all wings missing and head twisted on one specimen).

Mounted material: small, total body length 1.10–1.15 mm; antennae short, 7-segmented, less than one-third total body length; body setae few, probably mostly fs but these variable in size and hard to separate from hs. Wings missing on both specimens.

Head: appearing roughly oval; length about 120 μm; width across genae about 180 μm. Median crest (mc) not striated or reticulated; postoccipital ridge (por) present, posterior arms better defined that anterior arms; with (on each side) 5 fs (a few split at apex) + 2 or 3 hs. Mid-cranial ridge: dorsal ridge (dmcr) absent; ventral ridge (vmcr) long, extending almost to ocular sclerite (ocs) with well-developed lateral branches (lmcr); without any reticulations or striations laterally; with 0 or 1 fs ventral mid-cranial ridge seta (vmcrs) on each side. Genae (g) without reticulations; genal setae: 1 fs + 2 hs on each side laterad to postocular ridge. Eyes: with two pairs of round simple eyes; dorsal eyes (dse) near antennae, subequal in width to ventral eyes (vse), each 33–39 μm wide. Ocelli (o) pronounced, convex, 8–12 μm wide. Ocular sclerite (ocs) without polygonal reticulations but possibly with raised spots. Preocular ridge (procr) very small or absent. Postocular ridge (pocr) strongly developed, extending dorsally past posterior margin of each ocellus almost to postoccipital ridge; interocular ridge (ior) present, extending to base of each scape and passing just ventral to each dorsal eye. Dorsal ocular setae (docs) absent. Ventral head setae (vhs): 2 fs + 18 or 19 hs on each side, mainly anterior to ventral eyes but also laterad, between and posterior to eyes. Preoral ridge (pror) probably represented by a sclerotisation at base of cranial apophysis; cranial apophysis (ca) about 55 μm long and blunt apically.

Antennae: 7-segmented, total length 245–250 μm; fs and hs almost indistinguishable. Scape (scp): 28–34 μm long and 40 μm wide, with 5–7 setae. Pedicel (pdc): 21–30 μm long, 30 μm wide; with 4 or 5 setae + campaniform pore; Johnstone’s organ clearly present between pedicel and segment III. Fleshy setae 33–37 μm long. Segment III 53 μm wide distally and 84–86 μm long, with 9–13 setae; segment IV 36–45 μm long, with 14 or 15 setae; segment V 58–69 μm long, with 14–17 setae + 1 bristle; segment VI 36–50 μm long, with 16 or 17 setae + 1 bristle; seg- ment VII almost round, 26–28 μm long, with 5 bristles (3 long and 2 short), 1 seta + 3 capitate setae. No sensilla basiconica detected.

Thorax. Prothorax: pronotal ridge (prnr) well-developed but not fused dorsally; lateral pronotal sclerite (prn) narrow; without lateral pronotal (lpns) setae. Medial pronotal setae, post-tergites and post-tergital setae absent. Sternum (stn 1) not sclerotised and lacking a median sclerotised ridge but with a quite strong transverse ridge; with 1 or 2 fs + 2 or 3 hs prosternal setae (stn 1 s) on each side; extending anteriorly past procoxae (anteprosternal setae (astn 1 s)? Antemesospiracular setae (am 2 s) absent.

Mesothorax: prescutum (prsc) oval, 41–43 μm long, 74–81 μm wide; with large nodulations/reticulations throughout; prescutal ridges (pscr) and prescutal suture (pscs) ill-defined or absent; with 2 fs prescutal setae (pscs) near each lateral margin. Scutum (sct) sclerotised medially, with an area of narrow reticulations bordering prescutum and laterad to scutellum; median area 50–55 μm long; with 1–4 fs scutal setae (scts) on each side plus 0–5 anterolaterally; lateral margins not reticulated. Prealare ridge fairly weak. Scutellum (scl) 124 μm wide, 33 μm long; possibly tubular, with a large foramen; with 1 fs + 1 or 2 hs scutellar setae (scls) on each side; scutum laterad to scutellum polygonally reticulated. Basisternum (stn 2) 157–186 μm wide, 61 μm long; without a median ridge (mdr), but bounded anteriorly by a strong marginal ridge (mr) and posteriorly by strong precoxal ridges (pcr 2); with 27–29 fs basisternal setae (stn 2 s); lateropleurite (lpl) narrow with a strong extension from marginal ridge anteriorly; with 1 fs + 1 hs on or near lateral margin of lateropleurite; furca (f) well developed, narrow-waisted, arms very divergent and extending almost to marginal ridge. Mesopostnotum (pn 2) normally developed; postnotal apophysis (pna) well developed. Area bounded anteriorly by scutellum and laterally and posteriorly by mesopostnotum not sclerotised. Mesepisternum (eps 2) not reticulated but with 3 or 4 fs/hs mesepisternal setae (eps 2 s); subepisternal ridge well developed. Postalare (pa) not reticulated anteriorly; without postalare setae (pas). Mesothoracic spiracle (sp 2): peritreme 20–22 μm wide. Postme- sospiracular setae (pm 2 s): 1 or 2 present just posterior to each mesothoracic spiracle. Tegula (teg) present, with 1–3 fs tegular setae (tegs) on each side.

Metathorax: metapostnotum (pn 3) absent; metatergal setae (mts): 2 fs + 0 or 1 hs on each side. Dorsospiracular setae (dss): 5–8 fs on each side. Dorsal part of metapleural ridge (plr 3) absent and without a suspensorial sclerite (ss). Ventral part of metapleural ridge well developed; episternum (eps 3) probably unsclerotised; with 3–5 postmetaspiracular setae (eps 3 s) on either side. Metepimeron (epm 3) short or absent. Antemetaspiracular setae (am 3 s) absent. Metathoracic spiracle (sp 3): width of peritreme 20–24 μm; with 1–4 disc-pores on each side. Metasternum (stn 3) membranous; anterior metasternal setae (amss): 8–10 setae; posterior metasternal setae (pmss): 4–6 setae.

Wings: missing; hamulohalteres absent.

Legs: legs subequal in length. Coxae (cx): I 66–70; II 62–67; III 70 μm long; setae of coxa III: 8–12; apical setae on each coxa short, 35–38 μm. Trochanter (tr) + femur (fm): I 165–182; II 153–174; III 140–187 μm long; trochanter III setae: 2–4; long trochanter long seta up to 45 μm; femur III setae: 19–26. Tibia (ti): I 120–137; II 120–145; III 107–140 μm; tibia III setae: 12–22 fs and hs; with two distinct apical spurs (tibs), each 34–36 μm long. Tarsi (ta): I 70–83; II 66–83; III 53–75 μm long (ratio of length of tibia III to tarsus III 1:0.52); tarsus III setae: 10–16; tarsal campaniform pore present; each tarsus with 2 distinct tarsal spurs, each 26–28 μm long; tarsal digitules (tdt) unusual, as in family diagnosis. Claws (c) also of unusual shape, see family diagnosis; length: III 35–43 μm; claw digitules (cdt) slightly longer than claw, with minute apical knobs.

Abdomen: segments I–VII: tergites (at) all lightly sclerotised; sternites (as) slightly more sclerotised than tergites. Caudal extension (ce) of segment VII absent. Dorsal setae (ads) (on each side): segments I–IV each with 1–4 fs + 0–4 hs; V–VII each with 4 fs + 0–2 hs. Pleural setae: dorsopleural + ventropleural setae (on each side): I–VII each with 2–4 (fs?). Ventral setae (avs) (on each side): II with 2–10 fs + 0 hs; III–VII each with 2–4 fs + 1–8 hs.

Segment VIII: tergite (at) distinctly sclerotised, with 1 fs + 0 or 1 hs dorsal abdominal setae (ads) on each side; sternite (as) distinctly sclerotised, with 0 fs + 6–9 hs ventral abdominal setae (avs); caudal extension (ce) rounded but with 2 or 3 hs long pleural setae, each 46–66 μm long + 2 shorter hs. Glandular pouches (gp) absent.

Genital segments: segment IX broad and heavily sclerotised; length 114–117 μm, width at anterior margin 97–108 μm; anus 43–50 μm long, 28–30μm wide; with 2 or 3 pairs of hs ventro-laterally, each 50–55 μm long. Style separated from segment IX by a narrow membrane; style bulbous at anterior end, rapidly narrowing and then long with a fine apex; style 232–265 μm long; 36–42 μm wide at base; with 1 pair of long hs dorso-laterally on anterior bulbous part plus 1 pair half-way along shaft, each 63–72 μm long; also with a pair of small pores on apex and an- other pair just over half-way along penial sheath. Aedeagus 245 μm long, extending from posterior part of segment IX; as broad as penial sheath anteriorly, not bulbous but gradually narrowing to a fine apex and therefore broader than penial sheath along much of its length; basal rod broad distally and not apparently extending posteriorly down aedeagus.

Comment. For differences from S. intermedius , see key above.

Figures

FIGURE 52. Stictococcus vayssierei Richard. Macropterous male. (Stictococcidae). Where L=loculate pore. Where A=cranial apophysis, E=divided hair-like seta and L=loculate pore.