Aspidoproctus Newstead

Watson, Gillian W., 2022, Towards identification of the scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) of continental Africa: 2. Checklists and keys to six archaeococcoid families, Zootaxa 5105 (3), pp. 301-356 : 334-335

Genus Aspidoproctus Newstead

Aspidoproctus ( Fig. 17 ) is an African genus of 21 described species, 20 of which occur in continental Africa ( García Morales et al. 2016). They prefer woody hosts and are of no economic importance. The crowded dorsal spines and ventral setae on these insects makes study of the pores very difficult and the species have been very little studied. Aspidoproctus pallidus is only known from the adult male ( García Morales et al. 2016).

During this study the type specimen of Pseudaspidoproctus zimmermanni was examined; it is quite heavily sclerotized, with 10-segmented antennae and 7 pairs of abdominal spiracles, each without pores in the atrium. The species is clearly not congeneric with the other species assigned to Pseudaspidoproctus , as it possesses numerous small, rounded cicatrices on the ventral submargins of head, thorax, and abdomen, forming rows across the abdominal sternites (but not within the marsupium). Many pores on the derm and in the anterior marsupial band are quadrate with rounded corners, each containing 4 loculi with their outer edges rounded. These features are shared with members of Aspidoproctus , so Pseudaspidoproctus zimmermanni (Newstead) is here transferred to Aspidoproctus , as Aspidoproctus zimmermanni (Newstead) , comb. n. This brings the total number of species in Aspidoproctus to 22.

Key to some species of Aspidoproctus found in eastern and southern Africa, adult females

1(0) Anterior marsupial pore band with largest pores flower-like, each with 6 radiating narrow loculi. Venter of abdomen inside marsupial band with cicatrices across some anterior abdominal segments...............................................2

- Anterior marsupial pore band with largest pores quadrate with rounded corners, each containing 4 loculi, each loculus either circular or with at least the outer margin rounded. Venter of abdomen inside marsupial band without cicatrices................3

2(1) Body up to 3.3 cm long. Dorsal spines relatively short and well-spaced, apart from dense segmental clusters on margins. Dorsal tubercles relatively small and well-spaced................................................... maximus ( Fig. 17 )

- Body 1.0‒ 1.7 cm long. Dorsal spines relatively long and crowded over entire dorsum. Dorsal tubercles often present in pairs on thoracic and anterior abdominal segments, those on metathorax sometimes fusing to form a bifid ridge............. neavei

3(1) Dorsum with at least 1 long projection.................................................................... 4

- Dorsum without long projections.............................................................. zimmermanni

4(3) Dorsum with 3 long, slender, tapering projections; the longest arising from the head, about 7 mm long, and meso/metathorax with 1 shorter projection on each submargin.......................................................... tricornis

- Centre of dorsum with 1 median long, slender, tapering projection; subdorsum with 2 shorter lateral projections on each side, the posteriormost shortest........................................................................ mirabilis

Figures

FIGURE 17. Aspidoproctus maximus (Lounsbury), adult female, developed from Morrison (1928: 152, Fig. 75 and 153, Fig. 76).