ERIOCOCCIDAE Cockerell, 1899

Williams, D. J., 2007, Scale insects of the families Asterolecaniidae and Eriococcidae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) in New Caledonia, Journal of Natural History 41 (21 - 24), pp. 1343-1366 : 1351-1353

ERIOCOCCIDAE Cockerell

Type genus. Eriococcus Targioni Tozzetti

Description

Genera normally with enlarged setae that are robust, conical, bulbous or truncate, especially on dorsum, but sometimes dorsal setae flagellate. Anal lobes often well developed and protruding but sometimes displaced anteriorly forming an anal cleft, sometimes anal lobes not developed. Anal ring often cellular with a single row of cells and often six to eight setae but sometimes reduced to semicircular shape and sometimes without cells and with reduced number of setae. Enlarged tubular ducts usually present, each with inner end cupped. Microducts, quinquelocular pores and cruciform pores often present.

Comments

No full definition of the family is available and sometimes the family is defined as lacking characters of other families such as ostioles, cerarii, circuli, and stigmatic setae. Genera at present included in the family have been catalogued by Miller and Gimpel (2000). The first phylogenetic hypothesis based on molecular data of some genera ( Cook et al. 2002) has shown that eriococcids are paraphyletic and even the genus Eriococcus may need to be subdivided. A better understanding of the family will be gained after the large eriococcid fauna of Australia is studied in detail. In the present work, the species discussed from New Caledonia are treated using the broad concepts of the family as catalogued by Miller and Gimpel (2000).

The Eriococcidae of New Caledonia discussed by Williams and Watson (1990) comprised only two species, Chazeauana gahniae Matile-Ferrero and Eriococcus araucariae Maskell. This number has now been increased to five species in three genera and the genera may be separated by the following key.

Key to genera of New Caledonian Eriococcidae

1 Anal lobes strongly developed and prominent. Marginal and dorsomedial enlarged setae present. Anal ring with cells and six to eight setae........ 2

– Anal lobes lacking, posterior end of body rounded, or with poorly developed anal lobes. Marginal and dorsomedial enlarged setae absent, flagellate setae present only. Anal ring semicircular or transversely oval, without cells, with two to four setae................ Rhopalotococcus gen. nov.

2 Marginal enlarged setae each expanded at apex, abruptly pointed. Legs vestigial, minute. Antennae each with four segments.... Chazeauana Matile-Ferrero

– Marginal enlarged setae tapering to blunt or pointed apex. Legs well developed. Antennae each with six or seven segments.... Eriococcus Targioni Tozzetti

Chazeauana Matile-Ferrero Chazeauana Matile-Ferrero 1988, p 68 ; Williams and Watson 1990, p 49; Miller and

Gimpel 2000, p 80. Type species Chazeauana gahniae Matile-Ferrero , by original designation and monotypy.

Comments

This monotypic genus, apparently, is endemic to New Caledonia. It is easily recognisable in having vestigial legs and enlarged marginal setae expanded at the apex before abruptly forming a point. This combination of characters is not found in other genera of the Eriococcidae .

Chazeauana gahniae Matile-Ferrero

Chazeauana gahniae Matile-Ferrero 1988, p 70 ; Williams and Watson 1990, p 49; Miller and Gimpel 2000, p 80.

Comments

This remarkable species is easily distinguished in possessing well-developed anal lobes, four-segmented antennae, and minute vestigial legs only. A cellular anal ring posseses six setae and the enlarged marginal setae on the posterior abdominal segments are expanded apically and then abruptly pointed. Enlarged tubular ducts are apparently absent but microducts are present. Quinquelocular and bilocular pores are present.

The species was described from material collected in New Caledonia, Yate´, on Gahnia novocaledonensis (Cyperaceae) , the only record on this plant genus and family known in the family Eriococcidae .

Eriococcus Targioni Tozzetti Eriococcus Targioni Tozzetti 1868, p 726 ; Miller and Gimpel 2000, p 105. Type species

Coccus buxi Foncolombe by subsequent restriction of Signoret 1872, p 429 and by designation by Melville 1982, p 95. Opinion 1203 under the plenary powers of the

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (Name Number 2153).

Description

Important characters of this genus are: legs present, well developed; anal lobes well developed, protruding; antennae normally with six segments; macrotubular ducts present on dorsum; enlarged setae often present on dorsal margin and in dorsomedial area.

Comments

Many genera are regarded as being identical to Eriococcus in Miller and Gimpel (2000). These authors list nearly 350 species of Eriococcus worldwide, many of which are in great need of revision. Only one species, E. araucariae Maskell , was previously known from the tropical Pacific region including New Caledonia ( Williams and Watson 1990) and a second species is now described from New Caledonia. Species in New Zealand can now be identified after the work by Hoy (1962) but identification with certainty of many of the 55 species described from Australia is difficult and often impossible from the present literature.

The two species known from New Caledonia can be separated by the following key.

Key to adult female species of Eriococcus from New Caledonia 1 Marginal enlarged dorsal setae conspicuously longer than dorsomedial setae, at least three times as long. Dorsomedial setae short, truncate, with parallel sides..

................... araucariae araucariae Maskell

– Marginal enlarged dorsal setae, at most, only twice as long as dorsomedial setae. Dorsomedial setae pointed, same shape as marginal setae... millei sp. nov.

Eriococcus araucariae araucariae Maskell

Eriococcus araucariae Maskell 1879, p 218 ; Ferris 1955, p 100; Williams and Watson 1990, p 51.

Acanthococcus araucariae (Maskell) , Miller and Miller 1992, p 9.

Eriococcus araucariae araucariae Maskell ; Miller and Gimpel 2000, p 125.

Description

Body of adult female broadly oval. Anal lobes heavily sclerotized, protruding, each with three enlarged dorsal setae. Hind coxae with translucent pores. Marginal dorsal setae enlarged, almost conical, bluntly tipped. Other enlarged setae on dorsum, small and truncate. Macrotubular ducts of two sizes. A large type present on dorsum and around margins of venter. A smaller type present on venter of abdominal segments. Microtubular ducts present on dorsum and ventral submargins. Anal ring cellular, with eight setae. Quinquelocular pores present on venter only. Cruciform pores present.

Comments

The combination of names to this species has been changed to subspecies level recently because, although the characters of the species are well defined, there are still two other subspecies, E. araucariae minor Maskell described from Australia on Kunzea capitata (Myrtaceae) , and E. araucariae nudus Gómez-Menor Ortega , described from Spain on Cycas sp. (Cycadaceae) that are little known and whose characters await redesciption. Only some of the main references are listed here; for full synonymy and literature citations, see Miller and Gimpel (2000).

There are adequate descriptions and illustrations of this species in Ferris (1958), Miller and Miller (1992, 1993), and Williams and Watson (1990) affording easy recognition.

Although I have not seen specimens of this species from New Caledonia, it has been well documented from there by Cohic (1956, 1958), Brun and Chazeau (1980), and Williams and Watson (1990) who report damage to Araucaria columnaris and A. cunninghamii mainly by heavy infestations causing sooty moulds to develop on honeydew excreted by the insects. The insects are kept under control by the coccinellid Cryptolaemus montrouzieri Mulsant. Laing (1933) also reported this felt scale from Dge, Uen [Ouen], on Araucaria sp.