Pseudomontanococcus Kozár & Hodgson 2008

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 : 93-94

Pseudomontanococcus Kozár & Hodgson 2008

Pseudomontanococcus Kozár & Hodgson in Kozár et al. 2008 , 47–62. Type species: Pseudomontanococcus martini Kozár & Konczné Benedicty , by original designation.

Introduction. This genus is currently only known from New Guinea and includes 2 species, both collected in moss and ground litter. The adult male of only L. martini has been described and is currently the only known apterous male within the Gondwanan group of eriococcids.

Generic diagnosis based on adult male P. martini ( Fig. 36 ). Body: apterous, small, without any thoracic sclerotised plates; covered in numerous long setae, hs longer than fs but sometimes hard to separate; fs present on abdomen in addition to antennae and legs; with a pair of loculate pores on head. Head: simple pores absent; ocular sclerite with faint striations or ridges; dorsal mid-cranial ridge absent; preocular ridge short; genal setae present; postoccipital ridge well developed; antennae 9 segmented, most segments broader than long; flagellar segments with both hs and fs; capitate setae absent. Thorax: pronotal ridge well developed; entirely membranous and setose; postmesospiracular setae present; metasternum with few setae; campaniform sensilla narrow and in a line; tibia with 2 spurs; tarsi 2 segmented; claw digitules capitate; claws elongate, without a denticle. Abdomen: fs present on both tergites and sternites; glandular pouches absent but with a long stout seta in this position on segment VIII; penial sheath about as long as basal width; style broad anteriorly, becoming sharply pointed posteriorly.

Comment. The adult male of P. martini is superficially similar to those of apterous Rhizoecidae and Pseudococcidae , but can be separated from the former by the presence of ocelli (absent); and from both apterous rhizoecids and pseudococcids by: (i) presence of a cervical groove (absent); (ii) presence of pronotal ridge (absent); (iii) the distribution of the campaniform sensilla on trochanter: in a straight line on P. martini but in a curve or circle on rhizoecids and pseudococcids, and (iv) absence of loculate pores on thorax and abdomen (usually present).

Note that the authorship of P. martini is incorrect in Scalenet ( García Morales et al. 2019) as is also the pagination.

Figures

FIGURE 36. Pseudomontanococcus martini Kozár & Konczné Benedicty. Apterous adult male. (Eriococcidae, Gondwanan group). Where A=cranial apophysis, D=fleshy setae, E=hair-like setae, R=dermal reticulations on ocular sclerite and X=pores on head.