Cerococcus asteris 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 : 153-155

Cerococcus asteris Hodgson & Williams , sp. nov.

( Fig. 53 )

Material studied. Holotype and paratype ff: MEXICO, San Lorenzo, Puebla, on stem of Pedilanthus sp. ( Euphorbiaceae ), 24.vii.1978, Riddlehuber et al. (USNM): 1/3 adff (holotype specimen g, clearly arrowed, specimen furthest from species label; 2 paratype specimens (f).

Note. Data taken from all specimens.

Mounted material. Body roundly pear-shaped, 2.4–3.1 mm long, 2.1–2.7 mm wide, with only a short abdominal extension posteriorly.

Dorsum. Eight-shaped pores absent from large areas of dorsum; pores of 2 sizes: (i) medium to small pores, each 8–10 x 5.0–5.5 µm (largest perhaps near margin), in a complex pattern medially but mainly in 20–22 radial lines extending out from center of dorsum, each line 1–3 pores wide; and (ii) smaller pores, each about 7 x 5 µm, in groups within apex of each stigmatic pore band, each group with 10–16 pores; large 8-shaped pores absent. Simple pores very sparse, each about 1.5 µm wide. Cribriform plates, each about 8 µm wide, in two groups of 3–7 plates on each side of abdominal segment IV, each group in a mildly sclerotized cavity, each cavity variable in size but most about 40 µm wide; micropores in each plate quite large. Dorsal setae few, each setose, and mainly 3–5 µm long. Tubular ducts of 1 size, abundant, each outer ductule 23–25 µm long. Anal lobes mainly sclerotized throughout most of dorsal surface but becoming more distinctly sclerotized on inner margins; each lobe about 95 µm long with a long apical seta (all broken); each lobe with 2 bullet-shaped fleshy setae, each 7–8 µm long, near apex on dorsal surface; also with 3 strong short setae, each 7–12 µm long, on each inner margin, and 2 or 3 short setae on ventral surface; each lobe also with a longitudinal line of 4 or 5 eight-shaped pores dorsally and a few laterally. Median anal plate 68–70 µm long, 58–63 µm wide at base; apex bluntly pointed. Anal ring with 4 pairs of setae, each 53–66 µm long, all narrowing rather gently towards apex; anal ring with 2 rows of pores.

Venter. Derm unsclerotized apart from anal lobes that appear to be sclerotized ventrally. Eight-shaped pores similar to those on dorsum but slightly larger, each 11–13 x 6.0–6.5 µm; in a broad sparse marginal and submarginal band extending medially to well mesad of each antenna and spiracles; a few areas perhaps pore free near margin, each related to radial bands on dorsum; none medially near mouthparts. Simple pores not detected. Small bilocular pores, each 5–8 µm wide, sparse medially in head and thorax. Spiracular disc-pores small, each 3.5–5.0 µm wide (largest near apex of band) with mainly 5 loculi, in narrow bands 1–3 pores wide, broadening on dorsum into a large and distinct group, each group with 20–35 disc-pores (mainly with 7 loculi) plus a medial group of 10–16 small 8-shaped pores; posterior band bifurcated; each band with a total of 50–90 pores; also with 10–15 pores near each antenna, in a radial group extending towards margin. Multilocular disc-pores entirely absent. Tubular ducts, similar to those on dorsum, present throughout but perhaps not as frequent, and some ducts with an area of mild sclerotization around outer opening. Ventral setae slightly more abundant than on dorsum but all setose and short; preanal setae short, each 35–37 µm long; companion setae quite long, each 23–25 µm long. Antennae unsegmented, each 30–35 µm long, 35 µm wide, with 4 fleshy setae and 3–5 setose setae. Clypeolabral shield 170–175 µm long. Holotype specimen with a small sclerotized tube-like structure near base of one lobe; anteroventral sclerotizations on each anal lobe laterad to anal ring absent.

Comment. The lace-like arrangement of the dorsal 8-shaped pores on the adult female of C. asteris is unique in Cerococcus for, although lines or bands of 8-shaped pores are also present on other Cerococcus species, in the latter species they are in an evenly spaced lattice-like pattern with 8-shaped pores frequent between the lines, whilst in C. asteris , the lines or bands of pores are not evenly spaced and there are no 8-shaped pores between them. In addition, the adult female of C. asteris also has the following unusual features: (i) large and obvious groups of spiracular disc-pores and smaller 8-shaped pores in apex of each pore band (somewhat similar to the arrangement in Cerochiton ); (ii) cribriform plates in two submedial clusters on each side of abdominal segment IV, each cluster formed of 3–7 plates fused together in a mildly sclerotized cavity, and (iii) ventral marginal band of 8–shaped pores extending some distance mesad of each spiracle. The odd single sclerotized pore or duct on outer base of one lobe on the holotype specimen cannot be found on the other specimens, although it is very distinct. This is not thought to be homologous with the anteroventral sclerotizations typical of Antecerococcus species.

The adult female of C. asteris is characterised by the following combination of character-states: (i) anteroventral sclerotizations absent; (ii) three finely spinose setae present along inner margin of each anal lobe; (iii) dorsal fleshy setae on anal lobes spinose and bullet-shaped; (iv) posteroventral seta on each anal lobe absent; (v) dorsum with two sizes of 8-shaped pores, both quite small; (vi) 8-shaped pores on dorsum in a lace-like pattern; (vii) smallest 8-shaped pores restricted to 10–16 pores within apex of each stigmatic pore band; (viii) large areas of dorsum without 8-shaped pores; (ix) cribriform plates present in submedial clusters of 3–7 plates fused into two groups on each side of abdominal segment IV; (x) tubular ducts of one size only present; (xi) leg stubs absent; (xii) posterior stigmatic bands bifurcated; (xiii) multilocular disc-pores entirely absent; (xiv) ventral 8-shaped pores in a very broad marginal band extending medially well past antennae and spiracles, and (xv) antennae without either a cone-like apex or setal cavity.

In the key to adult females of Cerococcus , C. asteris keys out close to C. deklei and C. russellae . All three are from southern USA and Central and South America.

Name derivation: asteris is derived from the Latin word aster, meaning a star, referring to the radiating pattern of 8-shaped pores on the dorsum, and is in the genitive singular.

Figures

FIGURE 53. Cerococcus asteris Hodgson & Williams, sp. nov. Adult female.