Ceroplastes elaeis Hodgson & Peronti, 2012

Hodgson, Chris J. & Peronti, Ana L. B. G., 2012, 3372, Zootaxa 3372, pp. 1-265 : 172-174

Ceroplastes elaeis Hodgson & Peronti , spec. nov.

( Fig. 77; Map fig. 105)

Material examined. Holotype ♀, Angola, Salazar , on Elaeis guineensis, 16.viii.1968, P. de Carvalho ( SANC #3677 ): 1/1 (good).

Also: Gabon, Belinga Forest , host unknown, 14.xii.1973, A.S. Balachowsky ( MNHN #5861 ): 2/2 (fair); Makokou Forest, Belinga, host unknown, 15.xii.1973, A.S. Balachowsky ( MNHN #5871 ): 1/1 (good-fair) . Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eala , on Elaeis sp., -. iv.1936, J. Ghesquiere ( MNHN, TERV): 2/5 (fairgood) .

Main description taken from Type specimen; data from Democratic Republic of the Congo specimens in [..] brackets.

Unmounted material. Not seen [test too dried to describe].

Mounted material. Body oval, probably rather convex, with shallow, stigmatic clefts; dorsum with small distinct tubercles. Caudal process short and stout, probably pointing dorso-posteriorly. Length 3.43 [1.5–3.5] mm, total width of mounted specimen 3.08 [1.5–3.0] mm.

Dorsum. Derm entirely membranous except for heavily sclerotised caudal process. Caudal process 1.0 mm [400–650 µm] wide and 0.95 mm [425–775] long, with a few pores and dorsal setae. Derm with eight clear areas, distributed as usual, all with a few dorsal setae. Dorsal setae each quite sharply spinose, margins converging; each significantly longer than width of basal-socket (length 8–12 [5–8] µm; basal socket width 6–7 [5–6] µm); frequent throughout and sparse in most clear areas. Dorsal pores: (i) loculate microducts of rusci-type most abundant, each 8 [6–8] µm widest; those with 2 satellite loculi rare, pores with 3 or more loculi absent; pores abundant throughout but absent from all clear areas; wax-plate lines present; (ii) simple microducts of 2 sizes, smaller pores (width about 1 µm) restricted to all clear areas, and larger pores (each about 1.5 µm wide) sparse throughout rest of dorsum. Preopercular pores in a transverse band of about 40 [25–45] pores, band widest medially where up to 4 or 5 pores deep. Anal plates with a rounded margin; each with 3 pairs of setal sockets dorsally (all setae missing [60–70 µm long]) and probably with a shorter apical seta (not seen [20 µm long]); length of plates 170 [170–185] µm, width of both plates combined 190 [170–195] µm. Anterior margin of anogenital fold with at least 1 hypopygeal seta. Anal ring setae each at least 150 [165] µm long; anal tube only slightly longer than length of anal plates. Anal plate apodeme rather skirt-like.

Margin. Marginal setae strongly setose, each seta commonly up to 35 [20–40] µm long; with about 12 [7–16] between eyespots, and, on each side, 11 [5–10] between eyespots and anterior stigmatic setae, 14–17 [5–10] between stigmatic clefts and maybe about 12–14 [11–14] on each side of abdomen; usually with up to 4 amongst stigmatic setae near outer margins of clefts; each anal lobe with 3 [3 or 4] long marginal setae, longest about 60 [95–105] µm long. Each stigmatic cleft with a broad triangular group of sharply-conical stigmatic setae, each group clearly wider than long; group broadening to 6 or 7 setae deep in each cleft; each cleft with 1 or more slightly larger setae, not in any particular position, largest about 17 [11–17] µm long, 12 [11–17] µm wide at base, smaller setae 10 [10–12] µm long, 7 [8–12] µm wide at base; setae extending some distance on either side of each cleft; with about 60 setae in each anterior cleft (with 15 or 16 along margin) and about 70 in each posterior cleft (with 18 or 19 along margin) [total of 39–53 in all clefts]. Eyespots each about 30–33 [40] µm wide.

Venter. Derm entirely membranous. Pregenital disc-pores abundant around genital opening and across preceding 2 segments; with a few on segments IV and III but absent more anteriorly [also with 0 or 1 in segment II]. Spiracular disc-pores unusually large, each about 6.0 µm wide, with an uncertain number of loculi (perhaps 7 or 8?) [5–9 loculi, latter common near margin, those with 5 loculi most abundant near peritremes]; present in broad bands of about 60–70 [100] pores but not actually reaching peritreme [reaching peritreme]; each band significantly wider than peritreme but also widening near margin. Ventral microducts each about 3 µm widest although perhaps slightly smaller medially; abundant in a submarginal band and only slightly less frequent medially; abundant in each spiracular atrium. Ventral tubular ducts entirely absent. Submarginal setae more than twice as frequent as marginal setae, each 10–14 [12–16] µm long.

Antennae each with 6 segments, usually with several pseudo-articulations in segment III; total length 310–315 [275–305] µm. Clypeolabral shield about 200 [198–220] µm long. Spiracles: width of peritremes 90–100 [78–91] µm. Legs well developed, each with a distinct tibio-tarsal articulatory sclerosis; claw denticles obscure or absent; claw digitules both broad and longer than claw; tarsal digitules much longer than claw digitules; dimensions of metathoracic legs (µm): coxa 145 [132–145]; trochanter + femur 165 [160–170]; tibia 115 [103–108]; tarsus 75 [75–80], and claw 23 [20–22].

Discussion. C. elaeis is here considered to belong to the C. theobromae -group because, although each group of stigmatic setae is clearly broader than deep, no setae extend out of the cleft along the margin. As in other members of the C. theobromae group, it also lacks ventral tubular ducts in the cephalic region. It is close to C. quadrilineatus and C. mori (described as new below) but can be best separated using the characters in the key above. It is also somewhat similar to C. danieleae (described as new above in the C. rusci -group) but C. danieleae has a large group of ventral tubular ducts in the cephalic region.

C. elaeis is currently only known from Angola, Gabon and Democratic Republic of the Congo on Elaeis sp. (Palmae).

Name derivation. This species is named after the host-plant genus on which it was collected.