Antecerococcus cliffortiae (Joubert) Joubert, 2016

Chris J. Hodgson & Douglas J. Williams, 2016, (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha, Coccomorpha) with particular reference to species from the Afrotropical, western Palaearctic and western Oriental Regions, with the revival of Antecerococcus Green and description of a new genus and fifteen new species, and with ten new synonomies, Zootaxa 4091 (1), pp. 1-175 : 40-42

Antecerococcus cliffortiae (Joubert) , comb. nov.

( Fig. 11 )

Cerococcus cliffortiae Joubert 1925: 123 –124.

Type details. SOUTH AFRICA, Stellenbosch, University Farm, on Cliffortia ruscifolia , 5.v.1924, C.J. Joubert. Depositories: USNM: lectotype (here designated —see note below) 1/1 adf + 5/10 paralectotype adff. BMNH: 1/1 paralectotype adf.

Note. These slides are part of the Brain collection and the lectotype slide is marked as type and holotype by Lambdin and Kosztarab. However, Joubert (1925) followed Brain and did not mention a type or holotype specimen in his description and so these specimens must be considered syntypes (Miller pers. comm.). A lectotype has therefore been designated. Whilst it would have been proper to designate a lectotype from material held in SANC, no type specimens are held there. USNM also has an empty jacket with no slide from the same series (Miller, pers. comm.) [Note: type slide dated 1924, not 1925 as in Lambdin and Kosztarab, 1977, p. 87].

Material studied. Paralectotype: SOUTH AFRICA: Stellenbosch University Farm, on Cliffortia ruscifolia (Rosaceae) , 5.v.1924, C.J. Joubert (BMNH): 1/1adf (f–g).

Mounted material. Body roundly pear-shaped, 1.61 mm long, 1.25 mm wide.

Dorsum. Eight-shaped pores of 3 sizes: (i) largest 15– 17 x 11–12 µm, restricted to single pores on either side of apex of each stigmatic pore band; large pores absent from margins of posterior abdominal segments; (ii) intermediate-sized pores, each 10 x 5.5–6.0 µm, very sparse along margins and submarginally on venter; absent from posterior abdominal segments; and (iii) smallest pores each 5 x 2.5–3.0 µm, extremely sparse throughout dorsum and also ventrally on abdominal segments; with no eight-shaped pores forming a marginal band on lateral margins of posterior abdominal segments. Simple pores very sparse throughout, each 1.5–2.0 µm wide. Cribriform plates of moderate size, each 8–20 µm wide, with a narrow sclerotized margin and large micropores; in a group of 3 submedially on each side of segment IV; larger plates may be 2 or more fused. Dorsal setae extremely few, each setose. Tubular ducts with each outer duct about 25 µm long, broader than those on venter. Anal lobes membranous apart from inner margin which is distinctly sclerotized; each lobe about 60 µm long with a long apical seta, both broken; more apical fleshy setae on dorsal surface short, stout and bent, each about 8 µm long; more basal fleshy setae longer and straighter, each 25 µm long; ventral setose seta near apex short, 8 µm long; medioventral setae possibly absent; outer margin setae short, each about 7 µm long; each lobe with 0–2 small 8-shaped pores. Median anal plate roughly triangular, about 30 µm long, 40 µm wide at base. Anal ring with 4 pairs of setae, each about 50 µm long.

Venter. Eight-shaped pores of 2 types present: (i) intermediate-sized pores as on dorsum in a submarginal band around margin of head and thorax and marginally on anterior abdominal segments; and (ii) smaller pore similar to smallest on dorsum in sparse transverse bands anterior to each line of multilocular disc-pores and with 1 or 2 on each anal lobe; 8-shaped pores absent from near mouthparts. Simple pores similar to those on dorsum, very sparse. Small bilocular pores, each 4.0–4.5 µm wide, frequent medially on head and thorax. Spiracular disc-pores small, each 3–4 µm wide, mainly with 5 loculi, in a fairly dense group of about 20 pores near each spiracle, then forming a sparse band but this becoming dense on dorsal surface; each band parallel-sided on dorsum; anterior stigmatic band with a total of 60–90 pores; posterior stigmatic bands with about 20 pores in a compact group anterior to each peritreme and then with 40–50 in each anterior branch and 35–40 in each posterior arm; without associated minute eight-shaped pores. Also with small loculate pores, mainly with 5 loculi, in a group of 4–9 near each antenna and with a sparse band of 7–10 pores between each antenna and anterior spiracles; in addition, a single pore found near labium. Small convex closed pores absent. Multilocular disc-pores, each 6–7 µm wide, mainly with 10 loculi, distributed on abdominal segments as follows: VIII with 6 on each side, VII 11–20 on each side; and then in bands mainly 1 pore wide: VI 2 submarginally and 14 medially; V 3 submarginally and 14 medially; IV 2 submarginally and about 16 medially; III 1 submarginally and 10 medially, II about 4 on each side, and metathorax with a submarginal group of 2 but none medially. Tubular ducts very similar to those on dorsum but narrower; present throughout. Ventral setae on posterior abdominal segments slightly more abundant than on dorsum but all setose and short; preanal setae each 40 µm long, companion setae short. Leg stubs entirely absent. Antennae unsegmented, each 25–26 µm wide, with 7 or 8 setose and fleshy setae, some in a deep setal cavity; cone-like apex probably absent. Clypeolabral shield 145 µm long. Spiracular peritremes each about 20 µm wide.

Comment. This description is similar to that of Lambdin and Kosztarab (1977) except that (i) they illustrate a few 5-loculate pores present in a line between the anterior and posterior spiracles on each side (although they do not mention these in the text), but we did not find these on our specimen; and (ii) they considered the most anterior multilocular disc-pore band to be on the abdomen whereas it is clearly on the metathorax.

The adult female of A. cliffortiae is distinctive in having: (i) dorsum with three sizes of 8-shaped pore; (ii) largest 8-shaped pores restricted to one on either side of apex of each stigmatic pore band: (iii) only small 8-shaped pores present elsewhere; (iv) no large 8-shaped pores along margins of posterior abdominal segments; (v) medial plate triangular shaped; (vi) cribriform plates in submedial group of three on each side of abdominal segment IV; (vii) leg stubs absent; (viii) posterior stigmatic bands bifurcated; (ix) each stigmatic pore band parallel-sided, and without small eight-shaped pores associated with apex; (x) quinquelocular disc-pores also present in a band between each antenna and anterior spiracle; (xi) multilocular disc-pores in a line one pore wide with few pores, but present across all abdominal segments and submarginally on metathorax, and (xii) each antenna with a setal cavity but no obvious cone-like extension.

The adult female of A. cliffortiae falls within Group B in the key to species of Antecerococcus , along with several other African species.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Antecerococcus cliffortiae (Joubert). Adult female.