LECANODIASPIDIDAE Targioni Tozzetti, 1869

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 : 193-194

LECANODIASPIDIDAE Targioni Tozzetti, 1869

Lecanodiaspis Targioni Tozzetti 1869, 261 . Type species: Lecanodiaspis sardoa Targioni Tozzetti by monotypy. Lecaniodiaspis Targioni Tozzetti ; Signoret 1870, 272. Misspelling of genus name.

Lecanodiaspis Targioni Tozzetti ; Morrison & Morrison 1966, 24, 105. Subsequent use.

Introduction. The family Lecanodiaspididae includes 12 genera and 85 species. The family is found mainly in Africa, India, Asia and Australia on a range of different plant families. Vea and Grimaldi (2016), in their analysis based on male morphology and molecular analyses, found the Lecanodiaspididae to be sister to the Cerococcidae in a clade with Asterolecaniidae , Kermesidae and Kerriidae . Hodgson & Hardy (2013), in their phylogenetic study based on adult male morphology, found the Lecanodiaspididae sister to the Asterolecaniidae and Cerococcidae . Adult males of the following Lecanodiaspis species have been described: L. acaciae (Maskell) , L. africana Newstead ( Fig. 76 ), L. anomala Green and L. brabei Brain ( Afifi & Kosztarab 1969) ; L. baculifera, Leonardi , L. hodgsoni Howell & Kosztarab , L. rufescens Cockerell and L. varioseta Howell & Kosztarab ( Amin et al. 1976) , and L. elytropappi Munting & Giliomee ( Munting & Giliomee 1967) ( Fig. 75 ). The following family diagnosis is based on the above nine descriptions.

Family diagnosis based on adult male morphology ( Figs 75 , 76 ). Body: abdomen with very few body setae, all hs; loculate pores absent; simple pores rare. Head: mid-cranial ridge absent dorsally; ocelli absent; with only two pairs of simple eyes; ventral simple eyes placed approximately ventral to dorsal simple eyes; gena without polygonal reticulations; genae with or without a genal tubercle; postocular ridge close to posterior margin of dorsal eyes; interocular ridge absent; ocular sclerite mainly without reticulations; postoccipital ridge well developed; antennae short, about half total body length or rather less; antennae 10 segmented; antennal segment X with 3 capitate setae; both fs and hs present on antennae. Thorax: prosternum with a well-developed transverse ridge but median ridge less well-defined; prothorax without setae; prescutal suture well developed; membranous area of scutum without setae; scutellum with a well-developed, inverted U-shaped, scutellar ridge; postmesospiracular setae absent; basisternum without a median ridge; basisternum without basisternal setae; lateropleurite large, with an extension from marginal ridge; postnotal apophysis well developed; metasternum with very few metasternal setae; metepisternum not sclerotised, and metepimeron sclerotised; alar setae absent; alar lobe present; hamulohalteres usually present; legs quite setose, with fs; trochanter and femur fused, trochanter with sensilla in a line; tibial spurs absent or undifferentiated; tarsi 1 segmented; tarsi with bifurcate setae; tarsal campaniform pores present; tarsal digitules capitate; claw digitules capitate; claws with a small denticle. Abdomen: dorsal abdominal setae few and hs; ventral abdominal setae few and hs; pleural setae few and hs; tergites mainly absent; glandular pouches absent; caudal extensions on segments VII absent; caudal extensions on VIII small and rounded; penial sheath elongate, narrow and parallel sided with a blunt apex; segment IX narrow, only barely differentiated from rest of penial sheath; basal rod quite long; long setae on penial sheath absent, all setae short.

Figures

FIGURE 75. Lecanodiaspis elytropappi Munting & Giliomee. Macropterous male. (Lecanodiaspididae). (After Munting & Giliomee 1967). Where C and D=dorsal and ventral views of head, E=claw, F=third antennal segment, and G=apical antennal segment.

FIGURE 76. Lecanodiaspis africana Newstead. Macropterous male. (Lecanodiaspididae) (After Afifi & Kosztarab 1969). Where B=apical antennal segments and C=claw. For abbreviations see p. 8.