Stictococcus intermedius Newstead, 1917

Hodgson, Chris, 2020, A review of neococcid scale insects (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha) based on the morphology of the adult males, Zootaxa 4765 (1), pp. 1-264 : 125-127

Stictococcus intermedius Newstead ( Fig. 51 )

Stictococcus intermedius Newstead 1917, 13 –14. Type data: Ghana, Aburi, on Cacao sp., 1913, by W.H. Patterson. Syntypes, female, Type depository: BMNH.

Stictococcus guineensis Gómez-Menor Ortega 1942, 131 –141. Type data: Equatorial Guinea, on Coffea sp. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, Spain. Junior synonym ( Richard 1971, 591).

Material examined. Central African Republic, Boukoko , on Cacaoyer et cafier, Dec. 1967, M. Boulard ( MNHN 7890 /14): 1/1ad ♂ (good); La Maboke, Boukoko, Cola ballayi , 11.xii.1965, R. Pusol ( MNHN 7879 ?9): 1/1ad ♂ (fair).

Mounted material: rather small, total body length 1.37–1.45 mm; antennae short, 7 segmented, less than onethird total body length; body setae frequent, probably mostly fs but these hard to separate from hs. Wings mainly crumpled; rather narrow, width about 1/4th length.

Head: appearing roughly round on mounted specimens; length 153–174 μm; width across genae 210–215 μm. Median crest (mc) not striated or reticulated but distinctly sclerotised; postoccipital ridge (por) present, anterior arms better defined and longer than posterior arms on one specimen and ill-defined or absent on other; with (on each side) 13 or 14 fs, anterior most seta largest. Mid-cranial ridge: dorsal ridge (dmcr) very short, present anteriorly to lateral arms (lmcr); ventral ridge (vmcr) long, extending almost to ocular sclerite (ocs), with well-developed lateral branches (lmcr); without any reticulations or striations laterally but some sclerotisation; with 6 or 7 fs ventral midcranial ridge setae (vmcrs) on each side. Genae (g) without reticulations; with 11–14 fs genal setae on each side laterad to postocular ridge. Eyes: with two pairs of round simple eyes; dorsal eyes (dse) near antennae, subequal in width to ventral eyes (vse), each 36–42 μm wide. Ocelli (o) large, pronounced, convex, about 20 μm wide. Ocular sclerite (ocs) without polygonal reticulations but possibly with raised spots. Preocular ridge (procr) very small or absent. Postocular ridge (pocr) strongly developed, extending dorsally past posterior margin of each ocellus almost to postoccipital ridge; interocular ridge (ior) possibly absent. Dorsal ocular setae (docs) absent. Ventral head setae (vhs): about 50 fs in total extending full width of ventral surface and extending posteriorly between eyes. Preoral ridge (pror) probably represented by a sclerotisation at base of cranial apophysis; cranial apophysis (ca) about 70 μm long, with a blunt expanded apex.

Antennae: 7-segmented, total length 390–405 μm; fs and hs hard to distinguish. Scape (scp): 33 μm long, 40–42 μm wide, with about 6 setae. Pedicel (pdc): 33 μm long, 31–33 μm wide; with 12 or 13 setae + campaniform pore; Johnstone’s organ clearly present between pedicel and segment III. Fleshy setae on segments III–VII each 40–45 μm long. Segment III 23–24 μm wide distally (other segments slightly broader) and 115–120 μm long, with 9–15 setae; segment IV 58–65 μm long, with 19 setae; segment V 58–69 μm long, with 16–19 setae + 1 bristle; seg- ment VI 48–58 μm long, with 15–17 setae + 1 bristle; segment VII constricted near apex, 46–47 μm long, with 3 or 4 bristles (3 long + 0 or 1 short), 0 or 1 fs, 3 capitate setae + 0–2 sensilla basiconica.

Thorax. Prothorax: pronotal ridge (prnr) well-developed but not fused dorsally; lateral pronotal sclerite (prn) narrow; without lateral pronotal (lpns) setae. Medial pronotal setae, post-tergites and post-tergital setae absent. Sternum (stn 1) not sclerotised and lacking a median sclerotised ridge; with a quite strong transverse ridge; with 9–14 fs prosternal setae (stn 1 s) on each side, a few extending anteriorly past procoxae (anteprosternal setae (astn 1 s)?) and with 0–2 just posterior to each procoxa (antemesospiracular setae (am 2 s)?).

Mesothorax: prescutum (prsc): oval, 83–91 μm long, 141 μm wide; with a few large reticulations on posterior half; prescutal ridges (pscr) present but prescutal suture (pscs) ill-defined or absent; with 10–13 fs prescutal setae (pscs) near each lateral margin. Scutum (sct) sclerotised medially, with an area of narrow reticulations bordering prescutum and stronger reticulations laterad to scutellum; median area 50–66 μm long; with 12 fs scutal setae (scts) on each side; lateral margins not reticulated. Prealare ridge fairly weak. Scutellum (scl) 124–150 μm wide, 38–43 μm long; possibly tubular, with a small foramen; with 1 fs scutellar setae (scls) + 0 or 1 minute pore on each side; scutum laterad to scutellum polygonally reticulated. Basisternum (stn 2) 200–210 μm wide, 105–112 μm long; with- out a median ridge (mdr), but bounded anteriorly by a strong marginal ridge (mr) and posteriorly by strong precoxal ridges (pcr 2); with a total of 50–60 fs basisternal setae (stn 2 s); lateropleurite (lpl) narrow with a strong extension from marginal ridge anteriorly; with 4–8 fs on or near lateral margin of lateropleurite; furca (f) well developed, narrow-waisted, arms long and very divergent, extending almost to marginal ridge. Mesopostnotum (pn 2) normally developed; postnotal apophysis (pna) well developed. Area bounded anteriorly by scutellum and laterally and posteriorly by mesopostnotum not sclerotised. Mesepisternum (eps 2) not reticulated but with 5–9 fs/hs mesepisternal setae (eps 2 s); subepisternal ridge well developed. Postalare (pa) not reticulated anteriorly; without postalare setae (pas). Mesothoracic spiracle (sp 2): peritreme 20–22 μm wide. Postmesospiracular setae (pm 2 s): 6 fs present on each side posterior to each mesothoracic spiracle. Tegula (teg) present, with 2 or 3 fs tegular setae (tegs) on each side, 2 of them deeply divided.

Metathorax: metapostnotum (pn 3) absent; metatergal setae (mts): 4 or 5 fs in a group on each side. Dorsospiracular setae (dss): 7–12 fs on each side. Dorsal part of metapleural ridge (plr 3) absent and without a suspensorial sclerite (ss). Ventral part of metapleural ridge well developed; metepisternum (eps 3) probably unsclerotised; with 6 or 7 postmetaspiracular setae (eps 3 s) on either side. Metepimeron (epm 3) short. Antemetaspiracular setae (am 3 s) absent. Metathoracic spiracle (sp 3): width of peritreme 23–24 μm; with 2 or 3 disc-pores on each side. Metasternum (stn 3) membranous; anterior metasternal setae (amss): 12–17 setae; posterior metasternal setae (pmss): 4 or 5 setae.

Wings: hyaline, about 850 μm long, 350 μm wide (ratio of length to width 1:0.41; ratio of total body length to wing length 1:0.60); alar lobe (al) and alar setae (als) absent. Hamulohalteres absent.

Legs: legs subequal in length. Coxae (cx): I 70–75; II 62–68; III 70 μm long; setae of coxa III: 6–10. Trochanter (tr) + femur (fm): I 178–195; II 186; III 198–212 μm long; trochanter III setae: 3 or 4; long trochanter seta up to 45–60 μm long; femur III setae: 20 fs + 1–4 hs. Tibia (ti): I 145–160; II 160–165; III 160–172 μm; tibia III setae: 16 or 17 fs and hs; with two distinct apical spurs (tibs), length 28–42 μm. Tarsi (ta): I 82–92; II 93–95; III 90–92 μm long (ratio of length of tibia III to tarsus III 1:0.55); tarsus III setae: 13 or 14; tarsal campaniform pore present; each tarsus with 2 distinct tarsal spurs, 33–35 μm long; tarsal digitules (tdt) unusual, as in family diagnosis. Claws (c) also of unusual shape, see family diagnosis; length: III 38–44 μm; claw digitules (cdt) slightly longer than claw, with minute capitate apices.

Abdomen: segments I–VII: tergites (at) and sternites (as) all lightly sclerotised. Caudal extension (ce) of segment VII absent. Dorsal setae (ads) (on each side): segments I–VII each with 2–5 fs. Pleural setae: dorsopleural + ventropleural setae (on each side): I with 6 or 7; II–IV each with 1–4; V–VII each with 1 (fs?). Ventral setae (avs) (on each side): II–VII each with 1–3 fs.

Segment VIII: tergite (at) distinctly sclerotised, with 1 fs dorsal abdominal setae (ads) on each side; sternite (as): distinctly sclerotised; with 4 fs ventral abdominal setae (avs); caudal extension (ce) rounded, with 2 hs pleural setae. Glandular pouches (gp) present, glandular pouch setae each 175–210 μm.

Genital segments: segment IX broad and heavily sclerotised, 124–130 μm long, width at anterior margin 85– 105 μm; anus 45–50 μm long, 33–35 μm wide; with 2 pairs of hs ventro-laterally, each 40–50 μm long. Style with a narrow unsclerotised band anteriorly which narrows and fuses with style; slightly bulbous at anterior end, rapidly narrowing and then quite long with a fine apex; length of style from posterior margin of IX 265–285 μm; width at base of membranous band 40–45 μm; with 1 pair of long hs dorso-laterally on anterior bulbous part, each seta 58–67 μm long, plus 1 pair half-way along shaft, each 45–65 μm long; also with a pair of small pores on apex and another pair a little anterior of apex. Aedeagus 285–290 μm long, 31–34 μm wide at base, almost as broad as penial sheath anteriorly, not bulbous but gradually narrowing to a fine apex and therefore broader than penial sheath along part of its length; basal rod broad distally with a short broad extension down aedeagus on one specimen; length 40–90 μm.

Comment. S. intermedius is similar to S. vayssierei but they can be easily separated by the absence of glandular pouches on the latter species. S. intermedius is also much more hirsute than S. vayssierei , particularly on the head and thorax. For differences from Parastictococcus species, see key to species above.

Figures

FIGURE 51. Stictococcus intermedius Newstead. Macropterous male. (Stictococcidae).WhereA=cranial apophysis and L=loculate pore.