Hempelicoccus Kozár

Hodgson, Chris & Miller, Dug, 2010, A Review of the Eriococcid Genera (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) of South America 2459, Zootaxa 2459 (1), pp. 1-101 : 48-51

Hempelicoccus Kozár

Hempelicoccus Kozár (in Kozár & Konczné Benedicty, 2008: 123–125).

Type species: Eriococcus paranaensis Foldi & Kozár 2007: 59 .

Generic diagnosis. Adult female ( Fig. 22 ). Dorsum. Setae spine-like, present throughout but variable in size. Macrotubular ducts long and narrow, inner ductule with flower-like glandular end. Microtubular ducts long, with oval or bifurcate orifice, either few or forming groups. Loculate pores absent. Anal lobes well developed and sclerotised. Median plate not developed. Anal ring well developed, sclerotised, with 4 pairs of setae, each twice as long as width of anal ring; anal ring pores few. Margin. Often clearly demarcated by a line of enlarged spinose setae. Venter. Setae mainly hairlike and quite long but with a few spinose setae, similar to those on dorsum, present around margin. Macrotubular ducts present, of various sizes. Microtubular ducts absent. Loculate pores generally with 5 loculi but pores with more loculi common; frequent throughout. Cruciform pores present submarginally. Antennae 7 segmented. Frontal lobes present, antennal tubercles absent. Labium 3 segmented with 2 pairs of setae. Legs long, tibia and tarsus subequal in length; coxae of meso- and metathoracic legs with spinulae; metacoxae and femur with many large, irregularly-shaped translucent pores. Vulva present between segments VII and VIII. (Modified after Kozár & Konczné Benedicty, 2008).

Currently known from Asteraceae , Fabaceae and Nothofagaceae .

Comment. According to Kozár & Konczné Benedicty (2008), Hempelicoccus resembles Eriococcus in having: (i) spine-like setae on the dorsum; (ii) long microtubular ducts with a bifurcate orifice; and (iii) frontal lobes; but it differs in lacking: (i) enlarged tubular ducts; and in having: (ii) 2 pairs of setae on the basal labial segment; (iii) cruciform pores; and (iv) groups of microtubular ducts on the dorsum. It is also similar to Acanthococcus in having: (i) 2 pairs of setae on the basal labial segment; (ii) cruciform pores; and (iii) frontal lobes. However it differs from Acanthococcus in having groups of microtubular ducts on the dorsum and in lacking a median plate. It is also close to Coxicoccus in having: (i) enlarged spine-like setae on dorsum; and (ii) long microtubular ducts with a bifurcate orifice, but differs in having: (i) frontal lobes; (ii) 2 pairs of setae on the basal labial segment; and (iii) absence of clavate setae ventrally on posterior abdominal segments.

Kozár & Konczné Benedicty (2008) included 4 species in this genus, H. brasiliensis (Cockerell) , H. leguminicola (Morrison) , H. mendozae (Morrison) , and H. paranaensis (Foldi & Kozár) . In addition, E. santiaguensis and E. tucumanensis , described in Eriococcus by González & Granara de Willink (2009) and E. pumiliae , described in Eriococcus by P. González (2008a), are here transferred to Hempelicoccus as H. santiaguensis (González & Granara de Willink) n. comb., H. tucumanensis (González & Granara de Willink) n. comb. and H. pumiliae (González) n. comb., because they possess the dorsosubmedial clusters of microtubular ducts typical of this genus. It should be noted that González & Granara de Willink (2009) dispute the validity of Hempelicoccus because of variation found in all of the diagnostic characters listed by Kozár & Konczné Benedicty (2008) except for the presence of clusters of dorsal microducts. Hopefully a detailed phylogenetic analysis using morphological and molecular characters of taxa currently placed in the Eriococcidae will clarify the position of many of the currently controversial groupings. As presently understood, Hempelicoccus is restricted to South America. For a description of the adult female of the type species, see Foldi & Kozár 2007: 59.

First-instar nymph (based on E. tucumanensis (González & Granara de Willink) ; gender not determined) ( Fig. 23 )

Diagnosis. Mounted material. Body oval. Dorsum. Enlarged setae (excluding marginal setae) straight or slightly curved, of 2 sizes, arranged in 2 pairs of longitudinal lines, one pair submedial and one pair mediolateral; smaller setae present in submedial and mediolateral lines. Macrotubular ducts absent. Microtubular ducts loosely associated with lines of setae. Loculate pores absent. Anal lobes protruding, not platelike, each with two or three enlarged setae + a longer apical seta; lobes without microtubular ducts. Medial plate absent. Margin. Marginal setae each larger than dorsal setae, straight or slightly curved, apex pointed or slightly rounded, ( H. tucumanensis has two submarginal lines of marginal setae). Anal ring without anal tube but with pores and 6 anal-ring setae. Venter. Loculate pores few, restricted to submedial areas of head, thorax and abdomen, usually with 3 loculi, sometimes with 5 locular pore near spiracles. Macrotubular and microtubular ducts absent. Cruciform pores absent. Suranal setae: both anterior and posterior pairs hairlike. Ventral setae arranged segmentally. Antennae 6 segmented. Labium 3 segmented, basal segment with 2 setae. Legs well developed, without pores; each with tibia shorter than tarsus; tarsal digitules slightly capitate; claw apparently without a denticle; claw digitules equal. (Modified after González & Granara de Willink, 2009).

Comment. The first-instar nymphs of Hempelicoccus are very similar to those of Acanthococcus but differ by lacking cruciform pores which are present in first-instar Acanthococcus .

Figures

FIGURE 22. Hempelicoccus paranaensis (Foldi & Kozár). Adult female, where A = dorsal spinose seta; B = dorsal microtubular duct; D = dorsal macrotubular ducts; L = ventral loculate pore; U = cruciform pore, V = antenna; W = claw of metathoracic leg, and X = coxa of metathoracic leg (modified after Kozár & Konczné Benedicty, 2008).

FIGURE 23. Hempelicoccus paranaensis (Foldi & Kozár). First-instar nymph, where A = dorsal spinose setae; B = dorsal microtubular duct; J1 = small ventral seta; J2 = large ventral setae, and L = ventral triloculate pore (redrawn and modified after González & Granara de Willink, 2009).