Parastictococcus hargreavesi (Vayssière)

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 : 117-120

Parastictococcus hargreavesi (Vayssière) ( Fig. 48 )

Stictococcus hargreavesi Vayssière 1936, 283 –285. Type data: Sierra Leone, on Cola vera , 24/12/1928, by M.E. Hargreaves. Syntypes, female, Type depository: MNHN.

Stictococcus (Parastictococcus) hargreavesi (Vayssière) ; Richard 1971, 595. Change of combination.

Parastictococcus hargreavesi (Vayssière) ; Richard 1976, 659. Change of combination.

Material examined. Central African Republic, Boukotop , on Cacaoyer, 28.x.1964, R. Pusol ( MNHN 8543 /36A); 1/1ad ♂ (good). Also: Côte d’Ivoire, Divo , on Cacaoyer, 9.xii.1965, E. Lavabre ( MNHN 7801 /19): 1/1ad ♂ (good).

Mounted material: fairly small, total body length 1.27–1.38 mm; antennae short, 6-segmented, less than onethird total body length; body setae frequent, probably mostly fs but these hard to separate from hs on one specimen. Wings well developed and about 0.7 total body length, but rather narrow.

Head: almost round; length 270–287 μm; width across genae 200–210 μm. Median crest (mc) sclerotised but not reticulated; postoccipital ridge (por) present, anterior arms much longer than posterior arms; with a total of 23–28 long setae (probably fs). Mid-cranial ridge: dorsal ridge (dmcr) present and short anterior to lateral branches; ventral ridge (vmcr) long, with well-developed lateral branches (lmcr) and extending almost to ocular sclerite (ocs); without any reticulations or striations laterally; with 3 or 4 fs + 0–2 hs ventral mid-cranial ridge setae (vmcrs) on each side. Genae (g) without reticulations; genal setae: 14–19 on each side laterad to postocular ridge, probably all fs. 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) large, pronounced, convex, 18–22 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) possibly present, extending to base of each scape and passing just ventral to each dorsal eye (the apparent presence of this ridge might be due to head distortion). Dorsal ocular setae (docs) absent. Ventral head setae (vhs) abundant in two main groups: with 40–60 (probably mainly fs) around ventral eyes and 6–8 fs along margin of interocular ridge. Preoral ridge (pror) probably represented by a sclerotised structure at base of cranial apophysis; cranial apophysis (ca) long (38 μm), with a blunt apex.

Antennae: 6-segmented, total length 410–440 μm. Scape (scp): 33 μm long and 40–42 μm wide, with 2–6 fs + 2 or 3 hs. Pedicel (pdc) without reticulations or ridges: 31–34 μm long and 31–34 μm wide; with 7 fs, 1–3 hs + campaniform pore; Johnstone’s organ clearly present between pedicel and segment III. Fleshy setae 44–63 μm long, longest on segment VI. Segment III 25–30 μm wide distally and 172–176 μm long, with 24–28 fs + 0–2 hs; segment IV 75–92 μm long, with 8–16 fs, 1 or 2 hs + 1 bristle; segment V 49–67 μm long, with 7–12 fs + 2 hs + 1 bristle; segment VI 54–56 μm long, slightly contricted medially, with 3 large and 2 small bristles + 3 capitate setae; 2 sensilla basiconica present near base of a large bristle.

Thorax. Prothorax: pronotal ridge (prnr) well-developed but not fused dorsally; lateral pronotal sclerite (prn) narrow; without lateral pronotal (lpns) setae. Medial pronotal setae and post-tergites absent. With a group of about 2–4 fs near shoulder, either lateral pronotal setae (lps) or post-tergital setae (pts). Sternum (stn 1) only slightly sclerotised near transverse ridge and lacking a median sclerotised ridge; with a quite strong transverse ridge; with 6–8 fs + 0–2 hs prosternal setae (stn 1 s) on each side, group extending anteriorly past procoxae (anteprosternal setae (astn 1 s)?) Antemesospiracular setae (am 2 s) absent.

Mesothorax: prescutum (prsc) oval, 70–87 μm long and 150–158 μm wide; without striations or reticulations medially; prescutal ridges (pscr) present but prescutal suture (pscs) ill-defined or absent; with 6–10 fs prescutal setae (pscs) near each lateral margin. Scutum (sct) sclerotised medially, with an area of narrow reticulations bordering prescutum and scutellum; median area 83–85 μm long; with 5–9 fs + 1 or 2 hs scutal setae (scts) on each side plus 5 or 6 fs + 1 or 2 hs anterolaterally; lateral margins not reticulated but with some striations. Prealare ridge fairly weak. Scutellum (scl) 153–162 μm wide and 41 μm long; possibly tubular, with a moderate-sized foramen; with 0–2 fs + 2–4 hs scutellar setae (scls) on each side. Basisternum (stn 2) 223–230 μm wide, 120–130 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 22–50 fs basisternal setae (stn 2 s), mainly fs; lateropleurite (lpl) narrow with a strong extension from marginal ridge anteriorly; with 3–8 fs on or near lateral margin of lateropleurite; furca (f) well developed, narrow-waisted, arms long and 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 2–5 fs + 3–5 hs mesepisternal setae (eps 2 s); subepisternal ridge well developed. Postalare (pa) not reticulated anteriorly; without postalare setae (pas). Mesothoracic spiracle (sp 2): peritreme 25–28 μm wide. Postmesospiracular setae (pm 2 s): 16–26 fs across full width of segment. Tegula (teg) present, with 2 or 3 fs + 2–4 hs tegular setae (tegs) on each side.

Metathorax: metapostnotum (pn 3) absent; metatergal setae (mts): 0 or 1 fs + 1 or 2 hs on each side. Dorsospiracular setae (dss): 6–8 fs + 0–3 hs 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 3–6 fs postmetaspiracular setae (eps 3 s) on either side. Metepimeron (epm 3) short but well developed.Antemetaspiracular setae (am 3 s) absent. Metathoracic spiracle (sp 3): width of peritreme 28 μm; without spiracular disc-pores. Metasternum (stn 3) membranous; anterior metasternal setae (amss): 9 or 10 setae; posterior metasternal setae (pmss): 3–12 setae.

Wings: hyaline, possibly 800–975 μm long and 300 μm wide (ratio of length to width 1:0.34; ratio of total body length to wing length 1:0.67); alar lobe (al) and alar setae (als) absent; wing venation normal. Wing sclerites apparently normal; hamulohalteres absent.

Legs: legs subequal in length. Coxae (cx): I 70–73; II 66–77; III 70–75 μm long; setae of coxa III: 5–8 fs + 2 or 3 hs; apical setae on each coxa not differentiated. Trochanter (tr) + femur (fm): I 202–212; II 194–213; III 211–232 μm long; trochanter III setae: 0 or 1 fs + 2 hs; long trochanter seta up to 33 μm; femur III setae: 20–23 fs + 6–9 hs. Tibia (ti): I 198–220; II 215–220; III 207–232 μm; tibia III setae: 35–37 fs and hs; with two distinct apical spurs (tibs), length 25–29 μm. Tarsi (ta): I 86–92; II 82–95; III 82–90 μm long (ratio of length of tibia III to tarsus III 1:0.39); tarsus III setae: 14 hs; tarsal campaniform pore present; each tarsus with 2 distinct tarsal spurs, each 20–25 μm long; tarsal digitules (tdt) unusual, as in family diagnosis. Claws (c) of unusual shape as in family diagnosis; length: III: 28–39 μm; claw digitules (cdt) subequal in length to claw, with minute apical knobs.

Abdomen: segments I–VII: tergites (at) and sternites (as) all slightly sclerotised, particularly segment VII. Caudal extension (ce) of segment VII absent. Dorsal setae (ads) (totals): segments I–IV each with 1–5 fs + 2–5 hs; V–VI each with 0–4 fs + 4 hs; VII each with 7 or 8 fs + 0–4 hs. Pleural setae: dorsopleural + ventropleural setae (on each side): I–VII each with 1–3 fs + 1–3 hs. Ventral setae (avs) (totals): II–VII each with 2–15 fs + 0–3 hs.

Segment VIII: tergite (at) distinctly sclerotised, with 2 fs dorsal abdominal setae (ads); sternite (as): distinctly sclerotised, with 3–6 fs + 1 hs ventral abdominal setae (avs); caudal extension (ce) rounded but with 2 hs short pleural setae. Glandular pouches (gp) present, each with 2 glandular pouch setae (gls), each 150–195 μm.

Genital segments: segment IX 69–100 μm long, 86–93 μm wide at anterior end; anus present medially on dor- sum, 25 μm long, 46 μm wide; with 2 or 3 pairs of hs ventro-laterally, each 50–65 μm long. Segment IX separated from style by a broad membranous intersegmental membrane; style more or less bulbous at anterior end, rapidly narrowing and then quite long with a fine apex; with 2 pairs of long hs dorso-laterally on anterior bulbous part, each 70–83 μm long; and with a pair of small sensilla on apex and another pair a little more proximally. Total length of style from posterior margin of IX 207 μm; width of style at base 65 μm. Aedeagus extending from posterior margin of segment IX; as broad as penial sheath anteriorly, gradually narrowing for about 1/3–1/2 its length and then parallel sided to a fine apex; length 178–225 μm; width at base 33–40 μm. Basal rod broad distally, length 15 μm attached to segment IX and extending 50+ μm down length of aedeagus.

Comment. Male P. hargreavesi differ from the other stictococcid males described here in being (i) much more setose, particularly on the head and (ii) in having a group of setae on the shoulder of the prothorax.

Figures

FIGURE 48. Parastictococcus hargreavesi (Vayssière). Macropterous male. (Stictococcidae). Where A=cranial apophysis.