Antecerococcus oranensis (Balachowsky) Balachowsky, 2016

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 : 85-87

Antecerococcus oranensis (Balachowsky) , comb. nov.

( Fig. 31 )

Cerococcus oranensis Balachowsky 1941: 84 –87.

Type details. ALGERIA, Oran, Marnia, on Cistus crispus , 14.ii.1937, M. Delassus. Depository: MNHN: lectotype adf (designated by Lambdin and Kosztarab 1977: 155) + paralectotype adf (MNHN 4866-3 (lectotype specimen on the right); paralectotype adff: same data as lectotype, 1/2adff (MNHN 4866-2); also as lectotype but on Cistus sp. and dated 19.ii.1937: 3/4adff (MNHN 4866-1: 1adf, 4866-4: 2adf; 4866-5: 2adf)).

Material studied. Paralectotype ff: ALGERIA, Oran, Marnia, on Cistus crispus (Cistaceae) , 14.ii.1937, M. Delassus (MNHN): 2/4adff (f–g); as previous but on Cistus sp.; 19.ii.1937 (MNHN): 2/5adff (f–g).

Mounted material. Body roundly pear-shaped, 1.25–1.35 mm long, 1.05–1.25 mm wide.

Dorsum. Eight-shaped pores of 4 sizes: (i) largest pores, each 15–17 x 8.0–8.5 µm, very sparse in a line of 4– 6 anterior to anal plate and on margins of posterior abdominal segments; (ii) a slightly smaller 8-shaped pore, each 12.5– 15 x 6.5–7.0 µm; in groups associated with apex of stigmatic pore bands and occasionally along margins; (iii) slightly smaller pores, each 10.5–12.0 x 6 µm, common throughout rest of dorsum anterior to cribriform plates; and (iv) an even smaller pore, each 7.0–7.5 x 5 µm wide, sparse in bands on abdomen posterior to cribriform plates; 8- shaped pores absent from apices of stigmatic pore bands. Simple pores, each 2.5 µm wide, very sparse. Cribriform plates quite small, round, each 8–15 µm wide, each deeply invaginated with a narrow sclerotized margin and moderate to large micropores; present in a submedial group of 1–6 on each side of abdominal segment IV. Dorsal setae showing nothing distinctive. Tubular ducts with each outer ductule 23–25 µm long; dorsal ductules perhaps slightly wider than ventral ductules. Anal lobes membranous apart from inner margins which are distinctly sclerotized and lightly ridged; each anal lobe 65–70 µm long; long apical setae mostly broken but at least 110 µm long; posterior dorsal fleshy setae usually slightly curved, each 15–18 µm long; anterior fleshy setae straight and rather spinose, each 18–22 µm long; ventral setose seta near apex each 20–23 µm long; medioventral setae or outer margin setae strong, each 30–33 µm long; each lobe without 8-shaped pores. Median anal plate with a roundly triangular apex, 30–45 µm long, 28–30 µm wide. Anal ring with 4 pairs of setae, each short, 55–60 µm long.

Venter. Larger medium-sized pores, similar to those on dorsum, present in a marginal band but becoming smaller medially (each 8 x 5 µm) but extremely sparse across all abdominal segments. Simple pores very sparse. Small bilocular pores oval, each about 5.0 x 3.5 µm, frequent medially on head and thorax. Spiracular disc-pores small, each 4.5–5.5 µm wide, with mainly 5 loculi but larger pores near apex with up to 8 loculi; each band very sparse and short, possibly barely reaching dorsum and apical group barely differentiated; each band with a group of 6–11 disc-pores just anterior to each peritreme; total for each anterior band 24–40 pores; posterior band bifurcated and each branch with 17–30 pores; each stigmatic band with 2–5 intermediate-sized 8-shaped pores along margin near apex; also with 1–4 loculate pores near each antenna. Small sclerotized, convex closed pores absent. Multilocular disc-pores, each 6–7 µm wide, mostly with 10 loculi but some anterior pores with 5 loculi; distributed across abdomen as follows: IX & VIII 0; VII 1 on each side of vulva, and then across more anterior segments in bands mainly 1–2 pores wide: VI 1–3 submarginally + 14–19 medially; V 2 or 3 submarginally + 22–31 medially; IV 3–5 submarginally + 23–31 medially; III 1–4 submarginally + 17–22 medially; II sparse, totalling 12–18; also with 0–2 submarginally on metathorax; absent elsewhere. Tubular ducts similar in length to those on dorsum but narrower; sparse medially. Ventral setae showing nothing distinctive; preanal setae short, each 40–53 µm long; companion setae very short, about 5 µm long. Leg stubs absent. Antennae sometimes appearing 2 segmented, each antenna 38–45 µm long, 26–33 µm wide, with a broad deep setal cavity but no conical spine on apex. Clypeolabral shield 145 µm long. Spiracular peritremes each 23–25 µm wide, with a strong anterior sclerotized spur with spiracular disc-pores.

Comment. The above description differs slightly from that of Lambdin and Kosztarab (1977) in that the division into sizes of 8-shaped pore on the dorsum was difficult and it appeared that there were more than two sizes. The adult female of An. oranensis can be diagnosed by the following combination of character-states: (i) dorsum with three or four sizes of 8-shaped pore; (ii) dorsal 8-shaped pores all similar, but largest just anterior to anal lobes and associated with apices of each stigmatic pore band; (iii) dorsal 8-shaped pores sparse and not clearly in whorls; (iv) smallest dorsal 8-shaped pores on posterior abdominal segments; (v) cribriform plates deeply invaginated, unevenly round, in a group of 1–6 submedially on each side of abdominal segment IV; (vi) leg stubs absent; (vii) posterior stigmatic pore band bifurcated; (viii) multilocular disc-pores in sparse bands across abdominal segments II–VI, plus one or two in VII and on metathorax, and (ix) each antenna with a broad, deep setal cavity but no apical cone-like point.

Antecerococcus pocilliferus (Neves) is extremely similar to A. oranensis , apparently only differing in the position of the largest 8-shaped pores, with those in A. pocilliferus lying within the stigmatic pore bands and those in A. oranensis lying close to but not actually within each band. It seems entirely possible that A. pocilliferus is identical to A. oranensis but, as few specimens of these two species have been seen, we have left them as separate species.

The adult female of A. oranensis falls within Group B in the key to species of Antecerococcus , and keys out close to A. pocilliferus .

Figures

FIGURE 31. Antecerococcus oranensis (Balachowsky). Adult female.