Gigantococcus brachystegiae (Hall)

Unruh, Corinne M. & Gullan, Penny J., 2008, Identification guide to species in the scale insect tribe Iceryini (Coccoidea: Monophlebidae), Zootaxa 1803 (1), pp. 1-106 : 54-55

Gigantococcus brachystegiae (Hall)

Icerya brachystegiae Hall, 1940: 488 .

Gigantococcus brachystegiae (Hall) ; Unruh & Gullan (2008: 37) .

Unmounted material. Adult female covered with thick waxy secretion arranged in rounded tufts; one large oval tuft found middorsally, this tuft surrounded by two or three tufts; tufts arranged submarginally at posterior end and with very large, elongate marginal tufts present at posterior end; waxy ovisac slightly fluted with faint transverse striations, equal in length to body of adult female and tapering gently (adapted from Hall, 1940).

Slide-mounted material. Adult female oval (lectotype 7.0 mm long, 7.3 mm wide). Antennae 10 or 11 segmented. Eyes, mouthparts and legs as for tribe. Thoracic spiracles with very large atria; posterior spiracles much larger than anterior spiracles; derm outside atrium with simple multilocular pores, each with trilocular centre and 3–6 outer loculi. Hair-like setae covering derm, longest around margins and between antennae. Flagellate setae scattered over derm, densest on ventral head and thorax. Simple multilocular pores, each 11– 12 µm in diameter, with trilocular centre (rarely quadrilocular) and 6 outer loculi and distinct profile with elongate edges, covering dorsal surface and ventral margin. Ovisac band made of simple multilocular pores of two types: (i) larger pores forming inner band 6–9 pores wide, each pore 11–12 µm in diameter, with trilocular or quadrilocular centre and 8 or 9 outer loculi, and (ii) smaller pores forming outer band 2–4 pores wide, each pore 6–8 µm in diameter, with trilocular or quadrilocular centre and 3–5 reniform outer loculi. Compound multilocular pores, each 10–12 µm in diameter, with quinquelocular or hexalocular centre and 5–7 elongate reniform outer loculi covering submarginal head, thorax and abdomen and ventromedial to submedial met- athorax. Simple multilocular pores, each 10–12 µm in diameter, with quinquelocular or hexalocular centre and 4–6 outer loculi, scattered on ventromedial head, prothorax, mesothorax and abdomen. Vulvar opening as for tribe. Cicatrices elongate, numbering 3, subequal in size. Anal tube as for genus; anal opening as for genus, surrounded by long, hair-like setae.

Type data. ZIMBABWE [=RHODESIA]: Mazoe , ex Brachystegia sp. , 9.x.1927 .

Type material. Lectotype here designated: ad ♀, [etched in glass] “ Icerya /brachystegiae/Hall/Brachystegiae/sp/Mazoe/[unintelligible writing] 9/10/27”//[label] “ PARATYPE / W.J. Hall /1 1.1.39/BM–1958–579” ( BMNH) . Paralectotypes: ad ♀, [etched in glass] “ Icerya /brachystegiae/Hall/ Rhodesia /other/particulars/mislaid”//[label]“TYPE/ W.J. Hall /i.i.39” ( BMNH) ; 5 1 st -instar nymphs (one slide), [etched in glass] “ Icerya / brachystegiae/Hall/Brachystegiae/sp/Mazoe/WH [?] 9/10/27/larvae/77” ( BMNH); 7 1 st -instar nymphs (one slide), [etched in glass] “ Icerya /brachystegiae/Hall/ Rhodesia /Other particulars/mislaid/larvae/ex type specimen/same as 77/[label]Brit.Mus./1958–229” ( BMNH) .

Taxonomic notes. The dorsal surface is covered with simple multilocular pores, each with a trilocular centre and 6 outer loculi and with a distinctive profile. The profile is elongate with pointed tips. This species also has compound multilocular pores that resemble the pores of Gi. maximus .

Hall did not designate a holotype or paratypes in his original description. The slide we are designating as lectotype has “ PARATYPE ” written on it. We chose this slide rather than the slide with “TYPE” written on it because the latter slide has incorrect collection data. Both the lectotype and paralectotype have broken antennae, so we cannot be sure if the antennae are 10 or 11 segmented.