Antecerococcus ovoides (Cockerell) Cockerell, 2016

Chris J. Hodgson & Douglas J. Williams, 2016, (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha, Coccomorpha) with particular reference to species from the Afrotropical, western Palaearctic and western Oriental Regions, with the revival of Antecerococcus Green and description of a new genus and fifteen new species, and with ten new synonomies, Zootaxa 4091 (1), pp. 1-175 : 92-94

Antecerococcus ovoides (Cockerell) , comb. nov.

( Fig. 34 )

Pollinia ovoides Cockerell 1901: 225 .

Cerococcus ovoides (Cockerell) ; Ferris 1918: 332. Change of combination. Cerococcus ovoïdes (Cockerell) ; Balachowsky 1932: 34. Misspelling of species name. Asterococcus ovoides (Cockerell) ; Lambdin & Kosztarab 1977: 1. Change of combination.

Type details. SOUTH AFRICA, Durban, on unknown host, Fuller. Depositories: USNM: lectotype 1/1adf (designated by Lambdin 1983: 301) (g) + 2/3 paralectotype adff + 1/5 first-instar nymphs. Also 2 slides from the Brain collection with note saying “from original material as sent to Cockerell” but these were probably not used by Cockerell for his description (Miller, pers. comm.). BMNH: SOUTH AFRICA, Natal, Durban, no host or date, ex. coll. Cockerell: 1/9 adf, labelled Type and so probably part of the type series and therefore paralectotypes,

Notes: Although Lambdin & Kosztarab (1977a) and Lambdin (1983) credit Green (1909) as having moved P. ovoides Cockerell into the genus Cerococcus , it is clear that Green merely offered the opinion that Cerococcus would be a better placement for this species, as pointed out by Miller et al. (2005a). In fact, Green (1909) states that P. ovoides is only very doubtfully congeneric with Coccus pollini A. Costa, 1857 , “having characters much more closely related to Cerococcus .” Therefore, it is clear that Green did not transfer P. ovoides to Cerococcu s.

Material studied. Paralectotype ff: SOUTH AFRICA, Natal, Durban, no host or date, ex. coll. Cockerell (BMNH): 2/13adff (f–p—one slide, with 9 specimens, labelled Type and latter probably part of the type series. Other slide not so labelled but with the same data). Listed by Williams (1985).

Mounted material. Body roundly pear-shaped, 1.12–1.55 mm long, 0.95–1.38 mm wide.

Dorsum. Eight-shaped pores of 3 sizes: (i) largest pores quite small, each 10–11 x 5.0–5.5 µm, common, associated with apex of each stigmatic pore band and in narrow band around most of margin, but absent along margins of posterior abdominal segments; (ii) similar but medium-sized 8-shaped pores present in a narrow band dorsad to larger pores and in a line anterior to cribriform plates, each slightly smaller, 9.5–10.5 x 5 µm but structurally similar to largest pore, and (iii) a smaller pore, each about 8 x 4.0–4.5 µm, very sparse throughout dorsum and also present just anterior to median anal plate. Simple pores very sparse, each about 1.5 µm wide but with a band of slightly larger pores, each 3–4 µm wide, across segment IV around cribriform plates. Cribriform plates quite small, each 10–14 µm wide but very deep (about 20 µm deep), with a very narrow margin and quite large micropores; present in 2 submedial groups of 1–3 (mainly 2) on abdominal segment IV. Dorsal setae each about 5 µm long, extremely few but generally with 1 near apex of each stigmatic pore band. Tubular ducts narrow, each outer ductule about 20 µm; very sparse, of 1 size only. Anal lobes with distinctly sclerotized inner margins; each lobe about 50 µm long, with a long apical seta, most broken but at least 130 µm long; fleshy setae on dorsal surface: more apical setae short, straight, and sharply pointed, each 6–12 µm long; more basal fleshy setae longer with a blunt apex, each 17–20 µm long; ventral seta near apex of each lobe spinose, each 13–15 µm long; medioventral setae possibly absent; outer margin setae each about 8 µm long; each lobe without 8-shaped pores. Median anal plate 25–28 µm long with a rounded apex. Anal ring with 4 pairs of setae, each about 40 µm long and narrowing abruptly towards apex.

Venter. Larger 8-shaped pores (size i above), similar to those on dorsum, in a narrow marginal band; pores, similar to type ii on dorsum, in a narrow band mesad to marginal band and also present in sparse bands across each abdominal segment. Simple pore very sparse, each about 1.5 µm wide, most abundant on abdomen. Small bilocular pores oval, each about 4.5 µm widest, present medially on head and thorax. Spiracular disc-pores small, each about 3.0 µm wide with mainly 5 loculi, in a small group of 6–9 anterior to each spiracle and in a narrow band widening towards margin; each anterior band with 55–70 pores; posterior band not bifurcated, with 55–65 pores; each apical group with 6–9 intermediate-sized 8-shaped pores associated with each apex; also with submarginal groups of quinquelocular disc-pores, probably on abdominal segments II and III, with 0–7 in each group; plus 3 or 4 quinquelocular disc-pores near each antenna. Small convex closed pores absent. Multilocular disc-pores absent. Tubular ducts similar to those on dorsum, most abundant marginally but very sparse elsewhere. Ventral setae slightly more abundant than on dorsum but all setose and short; present in distinct segmental lines on abdominal segments; preanal setae each 30–35 µm long, companion setae short. Leg stubs small. Antennae short, each 15–25 µm long, 15–18 µm wide; apex rounded without either a deep setal cavity or a cone-like apex. Clypeolabral shield 145 µm long. Anteroventral sclerotizations present. Spiracular peritremes each about 25 µm wide.

Comment. This species was transferred to Asterococcus by Lambdin and Kosztarab (1977). The reasons for this are clear as A. ovoides has very few 8-shaped pores on the dorsum, but does have a transverse band of 8-shaped pores across about abdominal segment IV, two of the main characteristics that they used to diagnose Asterococcus . However, as part of the present study, it was noted that A. ovoides was from South Africa (and therefore within the geographic area covered by this study) whereas all other Asterococcus species were from the Far East. A close look at this species showed that A. ovoides (character-states in Asterococcus in brackets): (i) has anteroventral sclerotizations (absent); (ii) has two long fleshy setae dorsally on each anal lobe (strongly spinose); (iii) lacks the line of spinose setae along the inner margin of each anal lobe (present); (iv) has a strong ventral seta near the apex of each anal lobe (absent); (v) has long stigmatic pore bands that appear to extend onto dorsum ( Asterococcus species have short bands that do not appear to reach the dorsum); (vi) has non-bifurcated posterior stigmatic pore bands (always bifurcated in Asterococcus but non-bifurcated bands common in Afrotropical Antecerococcus species); (vii) has the inner margin of marginal band of 8-shaped pores and tubular ducts located a long way laterad of the antennae (on Asterococcus species, the antennae often lie within the band) and from the spiracles (generally much closer)—indeed, it is concluded that the marginal band on A. ovoides was almost certainly dorsal, (viii) has the spiracular disc-pores, in addition to forming the pore band, also forming a group just anterior to each spiracle but not forming a line or band around the atrium just laterad to each peritreme (in Asterococcus , they never form a distinct group anterior to each spiracle but form a semi-circle around the atrium laterad to the peritreme, with some disc-pores posterior to each peritreme), and (ix) has almost all loculate pores with five loculi (almost none with five loculi, almost all with seven ot eight loculi). On the basis of these observations, it is concluded that this species is not congeneric with the other Asterococcus species but is a fairly typical member of the genus Antecerococcus to which it is here transferred.

The adult female of A. ovoides can be diagnosed by the following combination of character-states: (i) anteroventral sclerotizations present; (ii) a pair of long fleshy setae present dorsally on each anal lobe; (iii) spinose setae absent from inner margins of anal lobes; (iv) strong ventral seta present near apex of each anal lobe; (v) dorsum with two or three sizes of 8-shaped pore, smallest restricted to very sparse medially; (vi) larger 8-shaped pores in a fairly broad marginal band along with a more dense band of tubular ducts; (vii) large 8-shaped pores absent from margins of posterior abdominal segments; (viii) stigmatic pore bands extending onto dorsum; (ix) cribriform pores in submedial groups of 1–3 on either side of abdominal segment IV, each deep and of an unusual structure; (x) tubular ducts on both dorsum and venter unusually narrow; (xi) leg stubs small; (xii) posterior stigmatic pore bands not bifurcated; (xiii) spiracular disc-pores in a group just anterior to each spiracle, not forming a band around spiracular atrium; (xiv) ventrally, inner margin of marginal band of 8-shaped pores and tubular ducts a long way laterad of antennae; (xv) almost all loculate pores with five loculi; (xvi) multilocular disc pores absent, replaced by submarginal groups of quinquelocular disc-pores on (probably) abdominal segments II and III, and (xvii) antennae without either a cone-like apex or setal cavity.

The adult female of A. ovoides falls within Group A in the key to species of Antecerococcus , but this species is not considered to be close to others in this genus.

Figures

FIGURE 34. Antecerococcus ovoides (Cockerell). Adult female. The enlargement on the lower right is a posterior view of the anal area, where amap = anterior margin of median anal plate; ars = anal ring setae; avs = anteroventral sclerotisation; map = median anal plate, and pas = pre-anal setae.