Cerococcus quercus Comstock

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 : 161-162

Cerococcus quercus Comstock

( Plate 2 )

Cerococcus quercus Comstock 1882: 213 .

Type details. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Arizona, on Quercus oblongifolia, 24.iii.1881. Depository: USNM: lectotype adf (designated by Lambdin & Kosztarab 1977: 194) (on left side of slide) + a fragmented paralectotype adf on right side; also 2/6 paralectotype adff (vp), 1/2 paralectotype adff (remounted by Lambdin (PL080c), 2/15 first-instar nymphs (mounted by Lambdin PL080e and 080k) and wax from test and numerous eggs and embryos (Miller, pers. comm.).

Material examined: USA, California, Riverside Co., Beaumont, on Quercus sp. ( Fagaceae ), 15.xii.1974, D. Mittersel (BMNH): 1/1adf (g); California, Arathorn, on oak, no date, G.F. Ferris (BMNH): 1/3adff (f).

Comment. Lambdin and Kosztarab (1977) provide a good description. In the above examined material, the posterior-most group of multilocular disc-pores is on abdominal segment VIII and the anterior disc-pores are across the metathorax. Also, the stigmatic pore bands are extremely broad but sparse and lack 8-shaped pores within each apex. Unlike most other Cerococcus species, the fleshy setae on the dorsal surface of each anal lobe are strongly spinose.

The adult female of C. quercus is characterised by the following combination of characters: (i) 8-shaped pores on dorsum randomly distributed, not in a lattice-like pattern; (ii) 8-shaped pores on dorsum of two sizes, both quite small; (iii) larger pores restricted to near stigmatic pore bands and cribriform plates; smaller pores throughout rest of dorsum; (iv) cribriform plates subcircular, present in submedial groups of 2–5 on each side of abdominal segment IV; (v) tubular ducts of two sizes, broader ducts restricted to posterior abdominal segments; narrower ducts frequent elsewhere; (vi) multilocular disc-pores in broad bands across almost all abdominal segments and metathorax; (vii) stigmatic pore bands bifurcated; (viii) stigmatic pore bands with abundant spiracular disc-pores, and (ix) leg stubs absent.

In the key to adult females of Cerococcus , C. quercus keys out in the group with two types of dorsal tubular ducts, but is rather different from all of the other species.

Figures

PLATE 2. Adult females of Cerococcus quercus Comstock on branches of holly oak (Quercus ilex), USA, California, Riverside-Palm Springs, 4. v. 2004, coll. R. W. Shaffer. Photo: Takumasa Kondo.