Gigantococcus gowdeyi (Newstead)

Unruh, Corinne M. & Gullan, Penny J., 2008, Identification guide to species in the scale insect tribe Iceryini (Coccoidea: Monophlebidae), Zootaxa 1803 (1), pp. 1-106 : 58-59

Gigantococcus gowdeyi (Newstead)

Aspidoproctus gowdeyi Newstead, 1920: 177 .

Steatococcus gowdeyi (Newstead) ; Vayssière (1926: 307).

Gigantococcus gowdeyi (Newstead) ; Unruh & Gullan (2008: 37) .

Unmounted material. Adult female covered with dense, felted layer of dusky white and pale wax more or less divided into segments corresponding to segmentation of the body; ventral surface castaneous, slightly mealy and covered with woolly filaments. Marsupium well developed, with waxy operculum absent, apparently broken away (adapted from Newstead, 1920).

Slide-mounted material (based on non-type material). Adult female oval (lectotype third-instar female 2.2 mm long, 2.0 mm wide). Antennae 11 segmented. Eyes, mouthparts and legs as for tribe. Thoracic spiracles as for genus; derm outside atrium with 6–20 pores, each pore 10–11 µm in diameter, with bilocular centre and 4–6 outer loculi. Hair-like setae covering derm, forming marginal clusters of very long, robust hair-like setae, longest and densest at posterior abdomen. Flagellate setae scattered on derm, densest on ventral head and thorax. Simple multilocular pores, each 12–14 µm in diameter, with trilocular (sometimes bilocular or quadrilocular) centre and 6–9 outer loculi, covering dorsal surface and ventral margin and forming medial clusters. Simple multilocular pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 4–6 outer loculi on ventromedial head and thorax. Marsupium present, marsupial band made of simple multilocular pores, each 8–10 µm in diameter, with bilocular or trilocular centre and 4–6 outer loculi. Simple multilocular pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter, with trilocular centre and 7–10 outer loculi, scattered around outer edge of marsupial band. Simple multilocular pores each with bilocular or trilocular centre and 4–8 outer loculi scattered on ventromedial abdomen (within marsupial cavity). Multilocular pores, each 8–10 µm in diameter, with quinquelocular, hexalocular centre and 5–8 outer loculi, sparsely scattered across ventral abdomen and around ventral submargin to margin. Compound multilocular pores, each 10–11 µm in diameter, with 8–12- lobed centre and 6–8 slightly reniform outer loculi, scattered on ventral submargin to margin. Vulvar opening as for genus. Cicatrices hourglass-shaped, numbering 3, subequal in size. Abdominal spiracles as for genus. Anal tube as for genus; anal opening as for genus, surrounded by long, hair-like setae.

Type data. UGANDA: Kampala, ex plumbago and rose, 15.x.1918 (C.C. Gowdey) .

Type material. Lectotype here designated: 3 rd -instar nymph, “211 (I.B.E.)/ Uganda:/ Kampala on/Plumbago and/roses. 15.x.18./ C.C. Gowdey ”//“? Aspidoproctus /gowdeyi,/Newst./Parasitized/From flocculent sac/ R.N. BM 1945, 121” ( BMNH) . Paralectotypes: 3 2 nd -instar nymphs (one slide), “I.B.E. 211/ Uganda: Kampala /‘on Plumbago and/roses’ 15.x.18/C.C. Gowdey”//“ Aspidoproctus /gowdeyi,/Newst.?/BM/R.N. 1945, 121” ( BMNH) ; 3 2 nd -instar nymphs (one slide), “I.B.E. 211|1919.86./ Uganda: Kampala,/‘on Plumbago and/ roses.’ 15.x.18./C.C. Gowdey”//“ Aspidoproctus /gowdeyi,/Newst.?/R.N. B.M. 1919.86” ( BMNH) ; 2 2 nd -instar nymphs (one slide), “I.B.E. 211|1919/86./ Uganda, Kamp –/–ala, on Plumbago /and roses,/15.x.18/C.C. Gowdey ”//“? Aspidoproctus /gowdeyi/ Newst /from flocculent sacs/ 1 ♀ [unintelligible writing]/R.N. B.M. 1919.86.” ( BMNH) ; 1 3 rd -instar nymph, 1 2 nd -instar nymph (one slide), “ Aspidoproctus / gowdeyi Newst / Kampala, Uganda / 13 x 1918 /Stanford University/ C.C. Gowdey /Natural History Museum” ( BME) ; dry material, “ On His Majesty’s Service. / Aspidoproctus gowdeyi Newst. / Kampala, Uganda, 15.x.1918 / C.C. Gowdeyi. / Uganda Protectorate.” ( BME bar code 17 24 107640) .

Other material examined. GHANA: ad ♀, Volta Region, Kyabobo National Park , ex Cassia sp. , 15.vi.2005 (T. Kondo) ( BME, CMU133 ) ; ad ♀, Volta Region, Nkwanta , ex Tectona grandis , 15.vi.2005 (T. Kondo) ( BME, CMU135 ) ; ad ♀, Volta Region, 8 km from Nkwanta , ex leaves of weed, 17.vi.2005 (T. Kondo) ( BME, CMU134 ) .

Taxonomic notes. Refer to the Gi. ewarti group for discussion of similar species.

The lectotype third-instar nymph and paralectotype second-instar nymph are parasitized by a larval Cryptochaetum sp. and this could cause abnormalities in the cuticular features of the specimen. The description is based on the adult females listed under “Other material examined”. Newstead’s original description of the adult female of this species is very brief, but he described a well-developed marsupium. The type material we examined from the BMNH collection included non-adult female specimens only.