Antecerococcus capensis Hodgson & Williams

Chris J. Hodgson & Douglas J. Williams, 2016, (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha, Coccomorpha) with particular reference to species from the Afrotropical, western Palaearctic and western Oriental Regions, with the revival of Antecerococcus Green and description of a new genus and fifteen new species, and with ten new synonomies, Zootaxa 4091 (1), pp. 1-175 : 35-37

Antecerococcus capensis Hodgson & Williams sp. nov.

( Fig. 9 )

Material studied. Holotype: SOUTH AFRICA, Cape Province, Franschhoeck Pass, on Cliffortia ? ruscifolia (Rosaceae) , 18.xii.1978, S. Neser & others (SANC): 1/1adf (young adult, g).

Mounted material. Body elongate pear-shaped, small, 1.1 mm long, 0.73 mm wide.

Dorsum. Eight-shaped pores of 2 sizes: (i) largest pore, each 16– 17 x 11–12 µm, present singly near apex on each side of each stigmatic pore band; absent from margins of posterior abdominal segments; and (ii) small pores, each 6– 8 x 3–4 µm, throughout rest of dorsum, smallest posteriorly; minute pores absent from apices of stigmatic pore bands. Simple pores small, each 2 µm wide, sparse. Cribriform plates in a pair submedially on each side of abdominal segment IV, each kidney shaped, anterior plate slightly smaller, 25–27 x 15 µm wide and posterior plate 27–33 x 17 µm wide; each with a narrow margin; micropores minute. Dorsal setae few, each setose, showing nothing distinctive. Tubular ducts with outer ductule 23–25 µm long, inner ductules about 15 µm long; outer ductules subequal in width to those on venter; abundant throughout. Anal lobes with narrow areas of sclerotization on each inner margin, without obvious folding; setae as follows: apical seta each 140–150 µm long; more basal fleshy setae on dorsal surface 16–20 µm long, more apical fleshy setae very bent (appearing bullet-shaped on available specimen), length unknown; ventral seta near apex short, 8 µm long; medioventral setae very short, each 8 µm long (only visible on 1 side); outer margin setae each about 8 µm long; each lobe with a single small 8-shaped pore near base of posterior fleshy setae. Median anal plate rounded; about 30 µm long, 30 µm wide at base. Anal ring with 4 pairs of setae, each about 60 µm long.

Venter. Eight-shaped pores near margin similar to smaller pores on dorsum but becoming slightly larger more medially, each 7.5–8.0 x 5–6 µm, in a narrow marginal band on head and thorax and in sparse segmental bands barely 1 pore wide across abdominal segments III–VII. Simple pores sparse. Small bilocular pores roundish, each about 5 x 4 µm, not easy to separate from 5-locular pores on available specimen; frequent medially on head and thorax. Spiracular disc-pores, each about 5 µm wide with a broad sclerotized border and with mainly 5 loculi; each spiracle with a dense group of 25–30 pores near each peritreme and then each band sparse but becoming broader and more dense marginally; anterior band with a total (minus those near spiracle) of 58–60 pores; posterior bands bifurcated, each branch with 40–55 pores; small to minute 8-shaped pores absent from apex of each band; quinquelocular disc-pores also present in a submarginal line extending posteriorly from each antenna to metathorax, with 14–24 between antenna and anterior spiracles, 8–13 between anterior and posterior spiracles and 2 or 3 more posteriorly; no additional pores found laterad to each antenna. Small convex closed pores absent. Multilocular disc-pores, each 6.5–7.5 µm wide with mainly 10 loculi, in transverse bands mainly 1 pore wide as follows: abdominal segment IX 0; VIII 4–6 on each side; VII with 0 or 1 submarginally and 35 medially in a complete transverse band around anterior margin of vulva; VI 2–4 submarginally + 10 medially; V 3 or 4 submarginally + 16 medially; IV 3 or 4 submarginally + 16 medially; III 4 submarginally + 14 medially and II 4 or 5 submarginally +14 medially; metathorax with 1 or 2 laterad to each leg stub but absent medially. Tubular ducts similar to those on dorsum, present throughout. Ventral setae showing nothing distinctive; preanal setae each 50–55 µm long; smaller companion setae short. Leg stubs very small. Antennae unsegmented, each about 40 µm long, 22–26 µm wide, with 6–8 fleshy setae; each antenna with a strong conical apex and a distinct setal cavity. Clypeolabral shield 165 long. Spiracular peritremes small, each 17–18 µm wide.

Comment. Adult females of A. capensis have the following combination of character-states: (i) dorsum with two sizes of 8-shaped pore; (ii) large 8-shaped pores restricted to single pores on either side of each stigmatic pore band; (iii) posterior abdominal margins without large 8-shaped pores; (iv) cribriform plates kidney-shaped, with two submedially on each side of abdominal segment IV; (v) posterior stigmatic pore band bifurcated; (vi) leg stubs small; (vii) multilocular disc-pores on abdominal segment VII forming a complete transverse band; (viii) multilocular disc-pores in sparse segmental bands, each band with a similar number of pores; (ix) quinquelocular disc-pores also present in a longitudinal submarginal line extending from each antenna to metathorax; (x) stigmatic pore bands short and parallel sided, not broadening much at apex, and (xi) each antenna with a broad, strong conical apex and a distinct, shallow setal cavity.

The adult female of A. capensis falls within Group B in the key to species of Antecerococcus , along with other species from Africa.

Name derivation: capensis after Cape Province, South Africa, where it was collected, combined with the Latin suffix -ensis meaning place or origin.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Antecerococcus capensis Hodgson & Williams sp. nov. Adult female.