Neoceronema 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 : 58-61

Genus Neoceronema Hodgson gen. nov.

Type species: Ceronema africanum Macfie, 1913

Generic diagnosis (based on the description of adult female by Hodgson (1967a)): live adult female with a median elongate patch of opaque, glassy material on dorsum; also, with a closely felted, white or buffish ovisac with radiating folds and keels that give the margin a serrated outline. Expansion of the ovisac causes old adult females to become tilted so that only anterior margin is in contact with host plant. Body rather large, more than 7 mm long.

Dorsum: derm possibly becoming sclerotised near margin on mature adults, with areolations. Dorsum divided into a wide marginal area, a narrower submedian area and a broad central area; margin of each inner area convoluted. Dorsal setae spinose, present throughout. Preopercular pores present anterior to anal plates, perhaps also more widely. Tubular ducts of 2 types, larger ducts each with a short inner ductule, present in a wide marginal band; smaller ducts each without an inner ductule, variously distributed. Submarginal tubercles present or absent. Three small pore types present: 2 smaller pore types associated with marginal setae, and a slightly larger pore type present throughout. Anal plates each with spinose setae along inner margin and a long apical seta.

Margin: with numerous spinose marginal setae. Stigmatic clefts absent; each stigmatic area with three stigmatic spines, the median spine much the longest.

Venter: with multilocular disc-pores, mostly each with 10 loculi, abundant medially and submedially throughout abdomen and most of thorax. Spiracular disc-pores as normal for Coccidae . Ventral tubular ducts of 2 types, both present throughout venter. Ventral microducts present. Antennae small, each 8 segmented. Legs small, each without a tibio-tarsal articulation; claw with or without a denticle; claw digitules dissimilar, one much narrower than the other.

Comments:The new genus Neoceronema has been introduced to take Ceronema africanum Macfie and Ceronema brachystegiae Hall , now Neoceronema africanum (Macfie) comb. nov. and N. brachystegiae (Hall) comb. nov. Whilst the type species of Ceronema ( C. banksiae Maskell ) does have its dorsum divided into 3 areas, rather similar to that on Neoceronema , the rest of the morphology is very different, as follows (character states for Ceronema in brackets): (i) submarginal tubercles, when present, normal, without associated microtubular ducts (submarginal tubercles each with microtubular ducts [the ducts are actually part of the tubercles]); (ii) pocket-like sclerotisations absent (structures somewhat resembling pocket-like sclerotisations common submarginally between submarginal tubercles); (iii) preopercular pores present (absent); (iv) anal plates each with spinose setae along inner margin in addition to a single apical seta (with 4 long apical setae only); (v) tubular ducts present throughout venter (ventral tubular ducts restricted to a narrow marginal band plus a small group on either side of anal cleft); (vi) multilocular disc-pores abundant medially and submedially on all abdominal and thoracic segments (multilocular disc-pores restricted to immediately around vulva); and (vii) claw digitules dissimilar, one much broader than the other (both claw digitules similar, broad). It seems likely that any morphological similarity is probably due to convergence. Both N. africanum and N. brachystegiae were described in detail in Hodgson (1967a) but are also illustrated here. Neoceronema belongs to the subfamily Filippinae , as defined by Hodgson (1994) and is currently only known from mainland Africa.

Name derivation: the name Neoceronema is composed of neo (Greek, meaning new) and Ceronema (neuter), the genus it somewhat resembles.