Gigantococcus madagascariensis (Mamet)

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 : 60-61

Gigantococcus madagascariensis (Mamet)

Steatococcus madagascariensis Mamet, 1951: 233 .

Gigantococcus madagascariensis (Mamet) ; Unruh & Gullan (2008: 37) .

Unmounted material. Adult female reddish-brown, covered with thick white waxy secretion arranged in rounded tufts each conspicuously separated from one another; tufts small and short around margin; longer in longitudinal row on middorsum and submedial rows shorter; forming submarginal longitudinal rows; long white pencil of waxy projecting from anal region. Venter covered with mealy secretion, marsupial opening clearly indicated (adapted from Mamet, 1951).

Slide-mounted material. Adult female oval, syntypes 4.0– 5.6 mm long, 2.7–3.8 mm wide. Antennae 9 to 11 segmented. Eyes, mouthparts and legs as for tribe. Thoracic spiracles as for genus; derm outside atrium with 6–20 pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter with bilocular centre and 4–6 outer loculi. Hair-like setae covering derm, longest in marginal clusters of very long, slightly wavy, robust hair-like setae. Flagellate setae scattered on derm, densest on ventral head and thorax. Simple multilocular pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 4–6 outer loculi, scattered on ventromedial head and thorax. Simple multilocular pores, each 12–14 µm in diameter, with trilocular (sometimes bilocular or quadrilocular) centre and 6–9 outer loculi covering dorsal surface and ventral margin. Marsupium present, shaped as for genus, marsupial band made of simple multilocular pores, each 8–10 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 4–6 outer loculi. Simple multilocular pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter, with trilocular centre and 7– 10 outer loculi, scattered around outer edge of marsupial band. Simple multilocular pores, each with bilocular or trilocular centre and 4–8 outer loculi, scattered on ventromedial abdomen (within marsupial cavity). Multilocular pores, each 8–10 µm in diameter, with quinquelocular or hexalocular centre and 5–8 outer loculi, sparsely scattered across ventral abdomen and around ventral submargin to margin. Compound multilocular pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter, with 8–12 lobed centre and 6–8 slightly reniform outer loculi, scattered on ventral submargin to margin. Vulvar opening as for genus. Cicatrices hourglass-shaped, numbering 3, subequal in size. Abdominal spiracles as for genus. Anal tube as for genus; anal opening as for genus, surrounded by long, hair-like setae.

Slide-mounted first-instar nymph oval. Antennae with very long hair-like setae at apical segment. Long hair-like setae at abdominal apex in 3 pairs, central pair shorter than lateral pair.

Type data. MADAGASCAR: 75 km west of Miandrivazo, on undetermined host, vi.1949 (R. Paulian); Tsaratanana Mt. (1500 m), ex Psiadia tsaratananae , x.1949; Tsaratanana Mt. (1000 m), ex Philippia sp. , x.1949 (R. Paulian).

Type material. Syntypes: ad ♀, “ Steatococcus / madagascariensis Mamet sp.n. / on Philippia sp. /MADA- GASCAR ( Tsaratanana Mt. / 1000 m./ x.1949 - Coll. R Paulian ”//[label]“ HOLOTYPE ”//[etched in glass]“MNHM - PARIS/No. 8696/1/[ink]xii” ( MNHM); 2 ad ♀♀ (one slide), “ MADAGASCAR / Mt. Tsaratanana (1500 m)/On Psiadia /tsaratananensis/ Coll. R. Paulian / x.1949 No. 75/BM 1964/4/I. I.E. 1934/1131”// “ Steatococcus /madagascariensis/Mamet/ W.J. Hall, det.” ( BMNH); additional material ( MNHN) .

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

A syntype slide located at the MNHN is incorrectly labelled holotype as Mamet did not designate a holotype in his original description.