Poliloculus González, 2008

Hodgson, Chris & Miller, Dug, 2010, A Review of the Eriococcid Genera (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) of South America 2459, Zootaxa 2459 (1), pp. 1-101 : 69

Poliloculus González

Poliloculus González, 2008b: 12–13 .

Type species: Poliloculus stipae González, 2008b: 13–15 .

Generic diagnosis. Adult female ( Fig. 34 ). Habit not described. Body approximately round. Dorsum. Membranous throughout; segmentation rather obscure. Setae few, all narrow, blunt, with parallel sides; infrequent. Macrotubular ducts small; present submarginally on abdomen. Microtubular ducts minute, extremely sparse. Loculate pores absent. Anal lobes triangular, short and lightly sclerotised; median lobe present. Margin. Indicated by a line of setae similar to those on dorsum. Venter. Membranous. Setae fairly long; sparse. Macrotubular ducts similar to those on dorsum; sparse across abdominal segments. Ventral microtubular ducts similar to those on dorsum; very sparse submarginally. Loculate pores, each with mainly 5–9 loculi; present across all abdominal segments and in a dence group associated with each spiracular atrium. Cruciform pores present on head and prothorax. Anus with a single ring of pores and 5 pairs of anal ring setae. Antenna small, 6 segmented. Frontal lobes and antennal tubercles apparently absent. Clypeolabral shield normal; labium 3 segmented, with 2 pairs of setae on basal segment. Legs quite well developed but small; metacoxae with translucent pores; claws without a denticle. Vulva present between abdominal segments VII and VIII.

Known only from Poaceae .

Comments. Poliloculus is a monotypic genus known only from the original collection in Argentina. According to González (2008b), this genus is similar to Spiroporococcus Miller (known only from the Nearctic) because both genera have a concentration of loculate pores near the opening of the spiracles and both occur on grasses. Spiroporococcus differs in having 3 pairs of poorly developed anal ring setae (5 pairs of conspicuous setae on Poliloculus ), loculate pores with primarily 5 loculi (5–9 in Poliloculus ), claw with a denticle (absent in Poliloculus ), and 7-segmented antennae (6 in Poliloculus ). Other important characers of Poliloculus are: (i) dorsal setae very sparse; (ii) anal lobes small; (iii) median plate present; and (iv) macrotubular and microtubular ducts present on both surfaces.

Figures

FIGURE 34. Poliloculus stipae González. Adult female, where A = dorsal seta; B1, B2 = dorsal microtubular ducts; D = dorsal macrotubular duct; F = view of anal area; J = ventral seta; K = ventral microtubular duct; L = ventral loculate pores; M = ventral macrotubular duct; U = cruciform pore; V = antenna, and W = claw of metathoracic leg (redrawn and modified after González, 2008).