Gigantococcus alboluteus (Cockerell)

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 : 51-52

Gigantococcus alboluteus (Cockerell)

Icerya seychellarum albolutea Cockerell, 1898b: 259 .

Icerya albolutea (Cockerell) ; Cockerell (1902a: 257).

Gigantococcus alboluteus (Cockerell) ; Unruh & Gullan (2008: 37) .

Unmounted material. Adult female dark red, "resting" on a cushion of yellow and white cotton. Dorsum entirely covered with bright yellow cotton and thick tufts of around margin; this wax white ventrally and yellow dorsally; ovisac not well-formed, represented by a loose, cottony secretion (adapted from Cockerell, 1898b).

Slide-mounted material. Adult female oval, 4.6–5.5 mm long, 3.0– 3.5 mm wide (lectotype about 4.6 mm long, 3.0 mm wide). Antennae 11 segmented. Eyes, mouthparts and legs as for tribe. Thoracic spiracles as for genus; posterior spiracles much larger than anterior spiracles. Hair-like setae distributed as for genus, longest in marginal clusters. Flagellate setae dense on ventral head and thorax, forming sparse transverse rows on ventromedial abdomen. Simple multilocular pores, each 10–12 µm in diameter, with trilocular or quadrilocular centre and 6–8 outer loculi, scattered across dorsal surface and ventral margins, forming middorsal clusters on head and thorax. Simple multilocular pores, each 9–10 µm in diameter with trilocular, quadrilocular, quinquelocular or hexalocular centre and 4–8 widely spaced outer loculi, scattered on ventromedial head and thorax. Compound multilocular pores, each 15–20 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre (appearing bilobed or trilobed) and 8–9 reniform outer loculi, in marginal cluster of 3–6 on each segment of head and thorax. Ovisac band made of simple multilocular pores of two types: (i) larger pores forming inner ovisac band 3–5 pores wide, each pore 10–12 µm in diameter, with trilocular to quadrilocular (rarely quinquelocular) centre with 6–8 outer loculi, and (ii) smaller pores forming outer ovisac band 1 or 2 pores wide, each pore 9–10 µm in diameter, with square or star-shaped centre and 6–8 outer loculi. Compound multilocular pores, each 13–16 µm in diameter, with 8 to 12-lobed centre and 6–10 reniform outer loculi, arranged around perimeter of ovisac band, except anteromedially, densest around margin. Simple multilocular pores, similar to vulvar pores, each 13–14 µm in diameter, with trilocular centre (appearing oval) and 6–8 outer loculi, forming transverse rows on ventromedial to submedial abdomen. Vulvar opening as for genus. Cicatrices round, numbering 3, central cicatrix largest. Abdominal spiracles as for genus. Anal tube as for genus; anal opening surrounded by robust hair-like setae and typical multilocular pores, each with bilocular centre and 16–18 elongate outer loculi.

Type data. NIGERIA: Lagos, ex Annona squamosa (H. Strachan) .

Type material. Lectotype here designated: ad ♀, “9802./ Icerya /albolutea./Ckll. TYPE./on Anona/squamosa/ Lagos./(Dr. Strachan.)/con. T.D.A. Cockerell /Posted May 26, 1903.” ( USNM) . Paralectotypes: dry material ( USNM) .

Other material examined. REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA: ad ♀, “ Icerya / albolutea Ckll. /on rose leaf/Cape Mount, Liberia/ C.C. Blickenstaff /and Mac. Coll./2–17–53–16/–53–1240” [slide also has an ad ♀ of Gi. nigroareolatus on left side] ( USNM) .

Taxonomic notes. Refer to the Gi. alboluteus group for discussion of similar species.

The lectotype is partially destroyed, but mouthparts, three legs and the anterior edge of the ovisac band are in good condition. The description of the slide-mounted adult female is based on a single female, collected in Liberia (collection details above in "Other material examined"), that has an ovisac band and pores matching that of the lectotype .