Ceroplastes myricae (Linnaeus)

Hodgson, Chris J. & Peronti, Ana L. B. G., 2012, 3372, Zootaxa 3372, pp. 1-265 : 126-130

Ceroplastes myricae (Linnaeus)

( Figs 18, 61; Map fig. 104; Table 4)

Coccus myricae Linnaeus, 1767: 741 .

Columnea myricae (Linnaeus) ; Targioni Tozzetti, 1866: 143.

Ceroplastes myricae (Linnaeus) ; Signoret, 1872: 39.

Ceroplastes myricae (Linnaeus) ; Brain, 1920b: 32; Williams, 2007: 448; Hodgson et al., 2009: 96; Giliomee, 2009: 36; Williams & Ben-Dov, 2009: 33 .

Ceroplastes myricae (Linnaeus) ; Green, 1900: 8. (Misidentification).

Material examined: Neotype ♀ (designated by Hodgson et al., 2009): South Africa, Cape of Good Hope (Western Cape Province), Betty's Bay , on Morella quercifolia , 28.vii.2008, J.H. and W.C. Giliomee ( SANC): 1/1 (fair).

Also: as for neotype, except 16.ix.2007, J.H. & W.C. Giliomee ( BMNH, USNM): 3/3 (fair-poor); also, as for neotype but 28.x.2007 ( SANC, BMNH): 2 / 2 (mainly fair). Also: South Africa, Western Cape Province, Betty’s Bay , 10.iv.2009, Morella quercifolia , C.J.Hodgson ( SANC): 2/2 (good) ; Western Cape Province, Rooi-els , on Myrica quercifolia , 10.ii.1979, S. Neser ( SANC #5552 ): 3/3 (good) ; Western Cape Province, Robberg, Plettenburgh Bay , on Searsia sp. , 28.viii.2008, J.H Giliomee ( BMNH, SANC): 3/3 (fair-poor) ; Gauteng Province [Transvaal], Pretoria , on Euclea schimperi , 25.v.1969, P. Lesley ( SANC #4315 ): 1/1 (good) ; Mpumalanga Province [Transvaal], Sabie, Forest Falls , on Diospyros sp. , 31.iii.2009, C.J. Hodgson ( BMNH): 1/1 (good) .

Note. With the collection of more material from the same plant as the Neotype, the data ranges have been extended (i.e., data are for both collection dates); data from all other material in (..) brackets. Some data for some of the other material is shown in Table 4.

Unmounted material. Waxy test composed mainly of peachy to whitish wet wax. In young adult females ( Fig. 18), basic shape approximately broadly cone-like, with a horizontal groove about half-way up, dividing test into a single dome-like top part and a broad bottom half. Centre of dome-like top slightly indented with a central nucleus. Broad basal part divided vertically by eight grooves, thus producing eight approximately quadrate wax plates laterally, each with a central indentation with some dry wax filaments. Posterior-most quadrate area with anal plates showing centrally, appearing as a dark spot, flanked by a pair of dry wax filaments. Stigmatic wax bands appearing white, although not very obvious. Waxy test of old adult female (Plate 1B) larger, without grooves, with a rather smoothly-rounded outline. Test of old females about 7 mm long and 5 mm wide. With wax removed, lateral and cephalic processes present but small.

Mounted material. Body elongate oval, rather convex; 3.0– 4.5 mm long, 1.6–2.1 mm wide; stigmatic clefts shallow and distinct; dorsum with small lateral and cephalic processes. Caudal process short and stout, length 0.8–1.1 mm, width 0.7–1.0 mm.

Dorsum. Apart from heavily sclerotised caudal process, derm entirely membranous when young but becoming more sclerotised on oldest individuals. Derm with eight clear areas, anterior and medio-dorsal area occasionally with a few dorsal setae. Dorsal setae each bluntly spinose, shorter than or subequal to width of basalsocket; length 2.5–5.0 µm, shortest in clear areas; basal socket width 4–5 µm; present very sparsely throughout, perhaps most abundant in wax-plate lines; occasional in anterior and mid-dorsal clear areas and absent from lateral clear areas. Dorsal pores: (i) loculate microducts of rusci-type most abundant, those with 2 satellite loculi infrequent and mainly restricted to wax-plate lines; pores with 3 or more loculi absent; a few pores without a satellite loculus noted in mid-dorsal clear area; wax-plate lines distinct on young specimens; and (ii) simple microducts present sparsely in clear areas, and perhaps very sparsely elsewhere. Preopercular pores distinct, with probably 10–12 (7–16) in a transverse band 1 or 2 pores deep. Anal plates each 120–137 (140) µm long, width of single plate 100–125 µm; each plate with 3 pairs of long dorsal setae, each about 80 µm long, plus a shorter seta on posterior margin, placed well away from apex of each plate. Anal ring setae each 200–230 µm.

Margin. Marginal setae stoutly setose, each 16–30 µm long, with about 8–11 (8–19) between eyespots, and (on each side) 3–6 (1–8) between eyespots and anterior stigmatic setae, 2–8 (2–8) setae between stigmatic clefts and 10–15 (12–19) on each side of abdomen; each anal lobe with 3 or 4 long setae, each about 50 µm long. Stigmatic clefts shallow, each with a line of conical stigmatic setae, becoming 2 (occasionally 3) setae deep in each cleft; those at apex of each group largest, 10–18 µm long; 10–14 µm wide at base, becoming progressively smaller laterally, smallest 6–8 µm long, 5–6.5 µm wide at base; setae extending some distance on either side of each cleft and occasionally almost meeting between clefts; with about 13–29 (13–30) marginal plus 3–10 (1–9) non-marginal stigmatic setae in each anterior cleft and 25–29 (22–29) marginal plus 4–8 (4–9) non-marginal stigmatic setae in each posterior cleft (totals per side 48–72). Eyespots each about 30–33 µm wide.

Venter. Derm entirely membranous. Pregenital disc-pores abundant around genital opening and across preceding segment, then becoming less frequent on more anterior abdominal segments, as follows: with 2–6 medially and 1–5 mediolaterally on V; 1–6 (1–7) medially on IV, 2 or 3 (0–6) medially on III, and 0–2 (1–4) medially on II; 0 or 1 on metathorax, otherwise absent on thorax and head. Spiracular disc-pores present in broad bands of at least 70 pores but with few, if any, extending medially; each band fairly broad throughout, becoming 2 or 3 times width of peritreme – usually broadest a short distance from margin. Ventral microducts showing nothing distinctive. Ventral tubular ducts each with a filamentous inner ductule, which often appears to arise from margins of cup-shaped invagination, and a small terminal gland; present in a group of about 25–40 (25–65) in cephalic region; also on abdomen associated with anogenital folds, with 1–3 on each side of segments V–VII (very few – occasional on V only) and 1 between segments V and IV. Submarginal setae frequent, each 10–14 µm long.

Antennae each with 6 segments, total length 275–300 (244–302) µm; with 1 or 2 usually quite distinct pseudoarticulations in 3rd segment. Clypeolabral shield about 145 (140–165) µm long. Spiracle: width of each peritreme 58–70 (50–75) µm. Legs well developed, each with a well-developed tibio-tarsal articulatory sclerosis; claw denticles obscure or absent; claw digitules both broad and slightly shorter than tarsal digitules; dimensions of metathoracic legs (µm): coxa 105–150 (124–155); trochanter + femur 150–180 (160–180); tibia 115–130 (105–125); tarsus 70–85 (72–85), and claw 22–25 (23–25).

Discussion. With the collection of new material from Betty’s Bay, it has been possible to extend the data ranges and clear up a few areas of uncertainty in the redescription by Hodgson et al. (2009). Almost none of the characters-states that Hodgson et al. (2009) suggested as separating this species from C. rusci appear to hold. The characters that still appear to distinguish this species are: (i) the larger number of tubular ducts in the cephalic region, and (ii) the presence of multilocular disc-pores generally at least on segment III and sometimes on posterior thoracic segments, and (iii) the lack of a claw denticle.

The specimens from Pretoria have rather smaller limb measurements but the remaining data fit very closely and it has the largest number of ventral tubular ducts between the antennae seen in the C. rusci- group.

Hodgson et al. (2009) mention Green’s (1900) record of C. myricae from Upper Assam and North Lakhimpur, India. The figures in Green (1900) clearly show that this refers to C. rubens Maskell and Green later corrected the record ( Green, 1909).

C. myricae is currently only known from South Africa on Morella sp. (Rubiaceae) and Euclea sp. (Ebenaceae) .

Cryptic or sibling species. In addition to the above material, some specimens ( Zimbabwe [S. Rhodesia], Sinoia, on Psorospermum sp. , 16.xii.1927, W.J. Hall (BMNH): 3/11 (fair-good)) were studied that are probably C. myricae but have rather fewer ventral tubular ducts in the cephalic region (see Table 4).

segment on which multilocular disc-pores found; hd tub. ducts = number of ventral tubular ducts in cephalic region; and dent = presence of a claw denticle (where y = present, x = absent; h = hint). And where Type 2009 refers to specimens collected off the same plant as the neotype.

Material examined: Neotype: South Africa, Cape of Good Hope, Betty's Bay, on Morella quercifolia , 28.vii.2008, J.H. and W.C. Giliomee ( SANC); as previous but 16.ix.2007, J.H. and W.C. Giliomee ( BMNH, USNM); as for neotype but 28.x.2007 ( SANC, BMNH); Betty’s Bay, 10.iv.2009, Morella quercifolia , C.J. Hodgson ( SANC); Cape Province, Rooiels, on Myrica quercifolia , 10.ii.1979, S. Neser ( SANC #5552); Transvaal, Pretoria, on Euclea schimperi , 25.v.1969, P. Lesley ( SANC #4315); Transvaal, Sabie, Forest Falls, on Diospyros sp. , 31.iii.2009, C.J. Hodgson ( BMNH); Cape Town, Silver Mine, on Cliffortia stricta , 7.vi.2009, C. Voget ( BMNH); Robberg, Plettenburg Bay, on Searsia sp. , 28.viii.2008, J. Giliomee ( BMNH); Stellenbosch, Jonkershoek, on Salvia sp. , 6.iv.2009, C.J. Hodgson ( BMNH).

Cryptic sibling species: Zimbabwe, Sinoia, on Psorospermum sp. , 16.xii.1927, W.J. Hall ( BMNH) .