Bugandacoccus Hodgson, 2021

Hodgson, Chris J., 2021, New genera, new species and new combinations for some African Coccomorpha (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha), Zootaxa 5020 (1), pp. 57-80 : 63

Genus Bugandacoccus Hodgson gen. nov.

Type species: Ceronema (Ceroplastodes) gowdeyi ( Newstead, 1911)

Generic diagnosis (based mainly on description of adult female by Hodgson 1971): Test of adult made of opaque, white, glassy wax, divided into large, polygonal plates. Body rather flat. When mature, adult occupying just anterior part of test; posterior part of test filled with ova and cast skins.

Dorsum: membranous, lacking dorsal setae. Dorsal tubular ducts sparsely present throughout, each with a short inner ductule. Dorsal tubercles present, more or less in 2 median lines of 4 tubercles each, with 1 pair on head, 2 pairs medially (1 on head and other on thorax), also with a pair on either side of anal cleft. Pocket-like tubercles present submarginally. Unilocular and bilocular pores abundant, forming a pattern of large polygons throughout dorsum and grouped around each dorsal tubercle. Anal plates each with 4 apical and subapical setae.

Marginal setae spinose. Stigmatic clefts deep, each with a sclerotised margin and 3 spinose stigmatic setae; often also with some spinose setae similar to marginal setae. Eyespot absent.

Venter: multilocular disc-pores, mostly each with 12 loculi, restricted to posterior abdominal segments. Spiracular disc-pores normal for Coccidae . Ventral tubular ducts of 2 types, 1 with a broad and the other with a narrow outer ductule; present throughout. Legs well developed, each with a tibio-tarsal articulation; claws each with a small denticle on proximal end, and with both digitules broad. Antennae each 7 segmented.

Comments: Bugandacoccus gen. nov. is introduced to take Ceronema gowdeyi ( Fig. 4 ), now Bungandacoccus gowdeyi (Newstead) comb. nov. In having no dorsal setae and in secreting a glassy test, Bugandacoccus would seem to fit into the glassy scales (Cardiococcinae). However, the presence of dorsal tubular ducts precludes this, so its subfamily placement is uncertain. The arrangement of the dorsal pores in a polygonal arrangement, the absence of dorsal setae, the placement of some dorsal tubercles medially, the presence of tubular ducts throughout the venter, and presence of pocket-like tubercles submarginally on the dorsum immediately separates this genus from other genera. Bugandacoccus gowdeyi is only known from the original collection near Entebbe, Uganda, on Ficus sycamorus in 1911.

Name derivation: The name Bugandacoccus is composed of Buganda, an old name for the southern part of Uganda where Entebbe is situated, and Coccus (masculine) after the type species of the family.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Bugandacoccus gowdeyi (Newstead). Adult female. After Hodgson 1971.