Mimosicerya Cockerell

Foldi, Imre, 2009, Archaeococcoid scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) from the tropical high mountains of the Andean Cordillera, South America, Zootaxa 2300, pp. 1-38 : 27-28

Mimosicerya Cockerell

Icerya (Mimosicerya) Cockerell, 1902: 233 . Type species: Icerya (Crypticerya) hempeli Cockerell, 1899: 43 , by monotypy.

Clypeococcus Newstead, 1920: 175 . Type species: Icerya (Crypticerya) hempeli Cockerell , by monotypy and original designation.

Mimosicerya Cockerell ; Morrison, 1928: 104.

The subgenus Mimosicerya was erected by Cockerell (1902) to take Icerya (Crypticerya) hempeli Cockerell , collected by A. Hempel on Mimosa , May 12, 1898, at Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil. Morrison (1928) defined the taxon and elevated Mimosicerya to generic level

Material examined. BRAZI L: Syntype female of Mimosicerya hempeli (Cockerell) . São Paulo State, Campinas, on Mimosa , May 12, 1898, A. Hempel coll., USNM.

BRAZIL: Mimosicerya hempeli (Cockerell) . São Paulo, Itarare, on Piptadenia falcate, Aug. 20, 1928, Adolph Hempel coll., 1 adult female, USNM. This slide from USNM is not from syntypic material, but it was collected and identified by Adolph Hempel as M. hempeli (Cockerell) .

BRAZIL: Mimosicerya hempeli (Cockerell) . Paraná State, Mata atlantica, on stems of Mimosa , 9.xi.1985. I. Foldi and S.J. Soria coll., 2 adult females on 2 slides, 2 preadult females on 2 slides, MNHN.

The generic diagnosis has been revised based on the adult and preadult females in order to include the features of a new species from Venezuela.

Revised generic diagnosis. Adult females. Body broadly oval, nearly spherical, retained within a heavily sclerotised preadult female exuvium. Anterior apex of body strongly sclerotised, sclerotisation restricted to head on dorsum but extending from head through to mesothorax ventrally, with a wrinkled and ridged surface. Area of sclerotisation approximately circular, bearing antennae and eyes, and densely covered with multilocular pores, setae of various thicknesses and lengths, and abundant spines. Rest of derm membranous. Multilocular pores rather circular, rarely broadly oval, with a thickened rim, each mostly with an oval centre with 2 tiny loculi, or a triangular centre with 3 inner loculi, plus about 10–12 outer loculi; distributed in segmental bands throughout both venter and dorsum; most abundent toward posterior end and on head. Spines numerous in sclerotized area, often with a swollen apex; spiniform setae densely distributed around each thoracic spiracle, mixed with flagellate and hair-like setae; hair-like and flagellate setae sparsely scattered over body; setae stouter and most abundant towards posterior end of abdomen, particularly around vulvar and anal openings.

Antennae greatly reduced, 1 segmented, bearing a group of stout setae. Eyespots large. Mouthparts absent. Thoracic spiracles each with a large apodeme, and with a group of perispiracular multilocular pores; atrial pores absent. Abdominal spiracles in 7 pairs, posterior pair close to anal opening; each spiracle with atrial pores in M. williamsi , absent in M. hempeli . Dermal pocket-like depressions, probably apodemes, 2 per segment, in a submedian line on each side of abdomen in M. hempeli , absent in M. williamsi . Legs strongly atrophied or reduced to vestigial protuberances; leg segments not distinct, femur + tibia + tarsus fused; supposed trochanter apparently with 3 campaniform sensilla; claw present or absent. Cicatrices absent. Vulvar opening an oval fissure, each extremity with an apodeme in M. hempeli , apodemes absent in M. williamsi . Anal tube of preadult retained.

Preadult female. Body shape broadly oval to spherical. A large sclerotised zone present submedially or also submarginally on venter, extending from head to metathorax or onto abdominal segments I rarely II; rest of venter membranous. Dorsum. Derm rather thick; multilocular pores, each with a circular, triangular, quadrate, or pentagonal centre, with 3–5 central loculi[how many does the circular one have?] and 9–18 outer loculi, sparsely scattered throughout. Raised pores very abundant in transverse rows on dorsum. Dorsal setae (hair-like, flagellate, and spiniform setae) mainly short, each 30–50 µm long, but with a few up to 120 µm; scattered, most abundant on submargin. Ve n te r. Multilocular pores with a quadrilocular centre and with mostly 9 outer loculi but occasionally with up to 11, scattered throughout. Raised pores and circular, slightly convex, cicatrices numerous in transverse rows on abdomen. Thorax very densely covered with long flexible hairs medially, each often with a swollen apex; length about 200–270 µm. Short hair-like and flagellate setae and hairs scattered throughout. Conical, stout spines present, particularly on thorax.

Antennae 8 or 9 segmented; antennal segments with few setae. Labium apparently 3 segmented. Thoracic spiracles with a large apodeme, without atrial pores but with a group of perispiracular multilocular pores near each peritreme. Abdominal spiracles in 7 pairs; each atrium with numerous multilocular pores, plus small pores with a cross-like opening; each spiracle also with irregular-shaped small spiniform setae and with a group of perispiracular multilocular pores. Legs well developed; claw strongly curved with short acute digitules, without a denticle. Anal opening apical; anal tube with polygonal pores at inner end, and with 2 or 3 rows of multilocular pores located at 2/3 length on anal tube.

Distribution. Brazil, Venezuela.