Coccus giliomeei Łagowska & Hodgson, 2019

Łagowska, Bożena & Hodgson, Chris J., 2019, On some new and old soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from Africa, with description of a new Coccus species and introduction of a new genus, Zootaxa 4612 (3), pp. 373-386 : 374-375

Coccus giliomeei Łagowska & Hodgson sp. n.

Material examined. Holotype ♀: SOUTH AFRICA, Mpumalanga Province ( MPU): right label: HC 6963/ South Africa /MPU, Houtenbek Farm/ NW of Dullstroom/ Boskrans Dam, 25 o 21 ’ S / 30 o 01’ E 1.xii.2002 / I.M. Millar/ on Gymnosporia buxifolia /; left label: Coccus / giliomeei /Łagowska & Hodgson/ Holotype ♀: 1/ 1adult ♀ (good) . Paratype ♀ ♀: right label: HC 6963/ South Africa /MPU, Houtenbek Farm/ NW of Dullstroom/ Boskrans Dam, 25 o 21 ’ S / 30 o 01’ E 1.xii.2002 / I.M. Millar/ on Gymnosporia buxifolia /; left label: Coccus / giliomeei /Łagowska & Hodgson/ Paratype ♀♀: 4 slides/ 5 adult ♀♀ (good)

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Adult female ( Fig. 1 ). Described from the holotype and 4 paratypes, all in good condition.

Unmounted material not seen.

Slide-mounted material. Body oval to elongate oval, 2.2–2.9 mm long, 1.6–2.0 mm wide. Stigmatic clefts slightly indented; anal cleft about 1/5th total body length.

Dorsum. Derm membranous, at least when young, with cell-like areolations throughout, densest on mid-dorsum, each areolation irregular in shape, with 1 dorsal microduct. Dorsal setae spinose and rather bluntly pointed, relatively short, each 9–11 μm long, sparsely distributed throughout. Preopercular pores small, each about 4 μm wide, present in a linear group of 4–6 pores in front of anal plates and extending anteriorly to about abdominal seg- ment III. Dorsal microducts more or less of 2 types: (i) an oval microduct, each 1.7-2.0 μm wide, appearing bilocu- lar, present in each areolation and (ii) a slightly larger and rounder microduct, each 2.5–2.8 µm wide, present in a sparse submarginal band just dorsad to marginal setae. Dorsal simple pores not noted. Dorsal tubular ducts, dorsal tubercles and pocket-like sclerotizations absent. Anal plates together quadrate, with rounded outer angles, each 140–160 μm long, combined width 150–180 μm, each plate with 1 apical seta, 3 or 4 subapical setae and a subdiscal seta. Anogenital fold with 3 pairs of long setae on anterior margin and 2 pairs on each lateral margin. Anal ring well developed, with 4 pairs of setae. Eyespots not detected.

Margin. Marginal setae strongly setose, straight or slightly curved, each seta 51–81 μm long, abundant, with 46–57 setae between anterior stigmatic clefts; 15–17 setae on each side between stigmatic areas, and 37–44 setae on each side of abdomen. Stigmatic clefts shallow, each with 3 stigmatic spines, each spine with parallel sides and rather rounded apex; length of each median spine 50–60 μm long, each lateral spine 30–40 μm long.

Venter. Derm entirely membranous. Spiracular disc-pores, each about 4 μm wide, mainly with 5 loculi, present in bands 1–2 pores wide between margin and each spiracle, with 22–26 pores in each anterior band and 28–32 in each posterior band, plus 6–13 pores extending more medially near each mesocoxa. Multilocular disc-pores each about 6 µm wide; present across all abdominal segments and sporadically (on 1 out of 5 specimens) on metathorax; those in segment VII with mainly 10 loculi; those situated more anteriorly almost always with fewer loculi, generally 6–8; distributed as follows: with 9–13 on either side of anal cleft, and then on each side of abdominal segments: VI 2–4, V 1–3, IV 1–3, III 1 or 2, II 1 or 0 medially, plus 0 or 1 mesad to each metacoxa. Ventral microducts oval and minute, most frequent between antennae, around labium and medially between mesocoxae; but probably present sparsely throughout. Ventral tubular ducts absent. With a single, small preantennal pore near base of each antenna. Ventral setae frequent submarginally, with 6–10 on each side between stigmatic clefts; and with pairs of long setae, each 92–103 μm long, plus 2 or 3 short setae on each side on abdominal segments VII–V; also with a group of 3 or 4 short setae near each pro- and mesocoxa, and 4 pairs of longer setae between antennae, longest 64–88 μm; other setae very small and scattered medially and submedially. Antennae well developed, each 8 segmented; total length 328–345 μm, segment IV longest, 53–64 μm long. Setal distribution on antenna: scape 3, pedicel 2, III 2, IV 0 or 1, V 2, VI & VII 1 fleshy seta + 1 hair-like seta, VIII with 3 fleshy setae, 3 stiff setae and 2 hair-like setae; terminal stiff seta 43–50 μm long. Clypeolabral shield 150–180 μm long, with 1 pair of setae; labium with 4 pairs of setae. Spiracles moderately large; width of peritremes: anterior 38–52 μm, posterior 42–57 μm. Legs well developed, each with a tibio-tarsal articulation; total lengths of metathoracic legs 590–660 μm (coxa 134–162 μm, trochanter + femur 200–225 μm, tibia 150–160 μm, tarsus 85–95 μm, claw 21–26 μm). Setal distribution on metathoracic leg: coxa 6, longest about 50 μm long; trochanter 2, longest about 80 μm long; femur 2, tibia 5, tarsus 6; tarsal digitules similar, both longer than claw; claw without a denticle, claw digitules similar, each about 37 μm long.

Etymology. The species is named after the African ecologist, entomologist and coccidologist, Prof. Jan H. Gil- iomee, for his contributions to the development of Coccidology, especially in South Africa.

Comments. Adult female C. giliomeei sp.n. can be diagnosed by a combination of the following features: (i) dorsal derm with clear areolations; (ii) dorsal microducts of perhaps 2 types; (iii) dorsal tubular ducts, dorsal tubercles and pocket-like sclerotizations absent; (iv) preopercular pores few (4–6), present in a linear group just anterior to anal plates, (v) anal plates together quadrate, each plate with a subdiscal seta, 1 apical seta and 3 or 4 subapical setae; (vi) numerous marginal setae, each strongly setose, straight or slightly curved; (vii) each stigmatic area with 3 stigmatic spines, each median spine about 1.5x longer than lateral spines; (viii) ventral tubular ducts absent; (ix) multilocular disc-pores, each with 6–10 loculi, present on all abdominal segments and sporadically on metathorax; and (x) each claw without a denticle.

This species falls within the group of 12 Coccus species from Africa that lack tubular ducts on both the dorsum and the venter (see De Lotto 1965), but it appears most similar to C. ehretiae , C. rhodesiensis and C. tangandae Hodgson due to the presence of multilocular disc-pores extending anteriorly onto the metathoracic segments (although only on 1 out of 5 specimens of C. giliomeei ). Adult female C. giliomeei sp. n. can be distinguished from the others in this group by the following character states: (i) lack of dorsal tubercles (present on C. ehretiae , C. rhodesiensis and C. tangandae ); (ii) few (4–6) preopercular pores ( C. ehretiae with 6–10, and many more on C. rhodesiensis , 21–32, and C. tangandae , 18–28); (iv) multilocular disc-pores with mainly 10 loculi on segment VII but becoming fewer more anteriorly (as on C. rhodesiensis , but all with 5 loculi on C. ehretiae or with up to 12 loculi on C. tangandae ); and (v) multilocular disc-pores also present sporadically on metathoracic segments (extending to at least mesothorax on C. rhodesiensis and C. tangandae ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Coccus giliomeei Łagowska & Hodgson, sp. n. Adult female.