Ovaticoccus Kloet, 1944

Hodgson, Chris & Miller, Dug, 2010, A Review of the Eriococcid Genera (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) of South America 2459, Zootaxa 2459 (1), pp. 1-101 : 69

Ovaticoccus Kloet

Ovaticoccus Kloet 1944: 86 .

Type species: Coccus agavium Douglas, 1888: 150 .

Generic diagnosis. Adult female ( Fig. 33 ). Oval, often becoming rotund when gravid. Body covered in white bloom. Secretes a loose, poorly defined ovisac. Dorsum. Setae generally of 2 types: (i) spinose, short and broadly conical, with a broad basal socket, arranged in 3 pairs of longitudinal lines; and (ii) smaller setose setae. Macrotubular ducts without a sclerotised dermal rim. Microtubular ducts present, without protruding orifice; inner ductule divided into sclerotised and unsclerotised halves. Loculate pores present, each with 5–7 loculi. Anal lobes absent. Margin. Undefined. Venter. Body setae slender. Macrotubular ducts present, similar to those on dorsum. Microtubular ducts present or absent. Quinquelocular pores present. Cruciform pores present. Anal ring ventral, incomplete, without pores, composed of 2 sclerotised crescents. Antennae 6 or 7 segmented. Frontal lobes present but antennal tubercles absent. Labium 3 segmented; basal segment with 2 pairs of setae. Legs relatively small: hind coxae with or without translucent pores; tarsal and claw digitules with expanded, equal-sized apices; claws with small subapical denticle. Vulva present between segments VII and VIII. (Modified after Boratynski, 1958, and Miller & Miller, 1993).

Known from a diversity of hosts.

Comments. Ovaticoccus currently contains 11 species, mostly from the United States of America. Only O. lahillei (Leonardi) has been recorded from South America, in Argentina. Recently, González (2009) redescribed the adult female of O. lahillei based on cotype material, described the first-instar nymph and transferred it to Eriococcus . We agree with this decision but, because we consider all South American Eriococcus are better placed in Acanthococcus as discussed under Acanthococcus above, we here transfer this species to Acanthococcus , i.e., A. lahillei n. comb. However, based on the present distribution of Ovaticoccus , there seems little reason to doubt that this genus will be found in South America in the future.

Figures

FIGURE 33. Ovaticoccus agavium (Douglas). Adult female, where A = dorsal spinose setae; B = dorsal microtubular duct; E = dorsal macrotubular duct; F = dorsal loculate pores; L = ventral loculate pores; U = cruciform pore; W = claw; X = coxa, and Z = anal area (modified after Miller & McKenzie, 1967).