CEROCOCCIDAE Balachowsky

Moghaddam, Masumeh & Watson, Gillian W., 2024, The Scale Insects Of Iran (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) Part 3 The Soft Scales (Coccidae) And Other Families, Zootaxa 5542 (1), pp. 1-202 : 30-31

Family CEROCOCCIDAE Balachowsky

The Cerococcidae is a family group of five genera containing 83 described species ( García Morales et al. 2016). Cerococcids are widespread and mainly occur on the stems of their host-plants. At present, the only cerococcid species recorded from Iran is Antecerococcus longipilosus (Archangelskaya) .

Appearance in life: Adult females covered by waxy, protective test; test pyriform, dorsum convex, with surface smooth / rugose / stellate / mottled / checkered or wool-like; tests usually light to dark brown, but a few may be bright orange, yellow, pink, red or white ( Lambdin & Kosztarab 1977). The adult females of many cerococcids resemble species of Eriococcus Targioni Tozzetti and Acanthococcus Signoret but, whereas members of these two genera have well-developed legs, cerococcids lack legs apart from short, claw-like stubs in some species ( Hodgson & Williams 2016).

Diagnostic characters: Slide-mounted adult female oval to broadly pear-shaped, tapering posteriorly to a pair of elongate anal lobes ( Fig. 8A ). Derm almost entirely membranous but with a few small areas of sclerotization posteriorly. Antennae ( Fig. 8B ) reduced, usually to a single stub-like segment. Legs reduced or absent. Eightshaped pores ( Fig. 8C ) usually present in 1–3 (occasionally 4) sizes on dorsum; in some species, either present throughout most of dorsum, or restricted to around stigmatic pore bands and along body margins. Spiracular disc-pores ( Fig. 8D ) mainly quinquelocular, extending from venter onto dorsum; posterior spiracular pore bands bifurcate ( Fig. 8 ). Simple pores ( Fig. 8E ) small and circular, usually frequent on posterior abdominal segments but sometimes very sparse or absent. Multilocular disc-pores (= pregenital disc-pores) ( Fig. 8F ) mainly each with 10 loculi, either present as complete bands across abdominal segments II–VI, or absent or restricted to a few on each side of each segment in some species. Cribriform plates ( Fig. 8G ) represented as closed pores, present in dorsal submedial groups. Tubular ducts ( Fig. 8H ) usually abundant.Abdomen terminating posteriorly with a pair of well-developed anal lobes, these usually sclerotized only along inner margin. Median anal plate ( Fig. 8I ) (probably a modified cauda) is an approximately triangular sclerotized plate situated immediately dorsad to anal ring. Anal ring ( Fig. 8J ) located at inner end of anal cleft.

Comments: Antecerococcus longipilosus (Archangelskaya) is the only species of Cerococcidae known from Iran ( Kaussari 1957).

Figures

FIGURE 8. Adult female of Antecerococcus longipilosus (Archangelskaya), from Hodgson & Williams (2016), page 79, fig. 28. © Magnolia Press, www.mapress.com/j/zt, reproduced with permission from the authors and the copyright holder. A, anal lobe; B, antenna; C, eight-shaped pore; D, spiracular disc-pore; E, simple pore; F, multilocular disc-pore; G, cribriform plate; H, tubular duct; I, anal plate; J, anal ring.