Antecerococcus baccharidis (Hempel) Hempel, 2016

Chris J. Hodgson & Douglas J. Williams, 2016, (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha, Coccomorpha) with particular reference to species from the Afrotropical, western Palaearctic and western Oriental Regions, with the revival of Antecerococcus Green and description of a new genus and fifteen new species, and with ten new synonomies, Zootaxa 4091 (1), pp. 1-175 : 127-129

Antecerococcus baccharidis (Hempel) , comb. nov.

( Fig. 49 )

Solenococcus baccharidis Hempel 1900: 392 .

Solenophora baccharidis (Hempel) ; Cockerell 1902: 250. Change of combination. Cerococcus baccharidis (Hempel) ; Green 1917: 81. Change of combination.

Type details. BRAZIL, Ypiranga, on Baccharis sp., A. Hempel 1900. Depositories: USNM: lectotype adf (designated by Lambdin & Kosztarab 1977: 68) + 3/6 paralectotype adff, 1/8 first-instar nymphs, 1/13 first-instar nymphs and 1/2 first-instar nymphs and a parasite larva (Miller, pers. comm.). BMNH: paralectotype ff: 1/2adff (f–p) + 1/1 bits (p-vp).

Material studied. Paralectotypes: BRAZIL, Ypiranga, Baccharis sp. ( Asteraceae ), ex coll. of Hempel, no date (BMNH): 1/3adff (f–p). Also BRAZIL, Curitiba, on Baccharis sp., -. ix.1961, F.D. Bennett #361 (BMNH): 2/3adff (f–p).

Note: description taken from all specimens.

Mounted material. Roundly pear-shaped. Body 2.5–2.75 mm long, 2.9–3.0 mm wide.

Dorsum. Eight-shaped pores of 2 sizes: (i) a moderately large pore, each about 15–16 x 10 µm, frequent in a broad marginal band but absent posterior to about abdominal segment III; also sparse in 4 or 5 transverse bands across dorsum of cephalothorax; and (ii) a much smaller pore, each 7– 8 x 5 µm, sparse throughout most of dorsum. Simple pores, each 2.0–2.5 µm wide, mostly sparse but perhaps most abundant on abdominal segment IV. Cribriform plates small, mainly roundish, each 8–9 µm wide, with a broad margin and quite large micropores; in about 3 or 4 transverse lines or bands, with 0–10 in each anterior band approximately on mesothorax, 16–20 submedially on about metathorax, 16–21 on about abdominal segment II and 7-15 in two submedial groups on about abdominal segment IV. Dorsal setae few, each setose, and mostly 5 µm long. Tubular ducts with each outer ductule about 25 µm long and about 3 µm wide, subequal to or slightly larger than those on venter; abundant throughout. Anal lobes mainly membranous, but each with a distinctly ridged, sclerotized inner margin; each lobe about 80 µm long with a long apical seta, each 130–145 µm long; fleshy setae on dorsal surface near apex fairly long and flagellate, each posterior seta 50–75 µm long; more anterior fleshy seta each 55–70 µm long; also with 2 fine setae towards base of inner margins of each lobe; ventral seta near apex flagellate, each 40–60 µm long; medioventral or outer margin setae long, each 20–30 µm long; each lobe with 1 or 2 smaller 8-shaped pores. Median anal plate rounded, 40–60 µm long and 66–75 µm wide at base. Anal ring with 4 pairs of setae, each 80–85 µm long.

Venter. Eight-shaped pores of 2 sizes, with larger pores forming a broad marginal band, and smaller pores, each slightly larger than smaller pores on dorsum, in a sparse submarginal band and also in sparse transverse bands across 3 or 4 abdominal segments but with very few posteriorly. Simple pores, similar to those on dorsum; sparse. Small bilocular pores, each about 5 µm widest, frequent medially on head and thorax. Spiracular disc-pores small, each 3–5 µm wide with mainly 5 loculi, in bands mostly 2–5 pores wide but widening slightly towards apex where each expands laterally forming a submarginal longitudinal band of disc-pores, each submarginal band extending from about level with antennae posteriorly to about metathorax; frequency in each longitudinal band somewhat variable; each stigmatic pore band with 4–6 intermediate-sized 8-shaped pores close to apex; also with an elongate band of 25–40 quinquelocular disc-pores extending radially towards margin from each antenna. Small convex closed pores and multilocular disc-pores absent. Tubular ducts subequal to or slightly narrower than those on dorsum. Ventral setae showing nothing significant; preanal setae each 75–85 µm long; companion setae each about 23 µm long. Leg stubs small. Antennae unsegmented, each 30–35 µm long, with about 7 or 8 setose and fleshy setae; without either a cone-shaped apex or a setal cavity. Clypeolabral shield 130–145 µm long. Spiracular peritremes each about 36–50 µm wide.

Comment. The above description differs significantly from that of Lambdin and Kosztarab (1977) in that they make no mention of the lateral expansion of the spiracular disc-pores on the dorsum, forming a submarginal band between the apex of each disc-pore band, although there is a hint of this in their figure. Although somewhat variable between specimens, this band was clear on all slides but perhaps least obvious on the Hempel specimens. This is very distinctive and an apparently unique character state. Also, the range in frequency of the cribriform pores was much greater in Lambdin and Kosztarab (1977). Other character-states that are important are presence of: (i) dorsum with two sizes of 8-shaped pores; (ii) largest 8-shaped pores in a broad band along margins of head, thorax and anterior abdominal segments on both dorsum and venter, and also in 4–6 sparse transverse bands across cephalothorax; (iii) posterior abdominal segments with 2–5 large 8-shaped pores along each dorsal margin; (iv) smaller 8-shaped pores sparse elsewhere on dorsum; (v) cribriform plates in four transverse rows or bands, each with eight or more plates; (vi) anteriormost row of cribriform plates perhaps on mesothorax; (vii) leg stubs present; (viii) posterior stigmatic pore band bifurcated; (ix) multilocular disc-pores entirely absent; (x) quinquelocular discpores abundant, those near each antennae extending in a radial band towards margin,, and (xi) antennae without either a cone-like apex or a setal cavity.

In addition, Lambdin and Kosztarab show: (i) far more larger 8-shaped pores in each transverse band on the dorsum than in the above specimens; (ii) they illustrate a transverse line of larger 8-shaped pores ventrally, on about abdominal segment II or III (not mentioned in text and absent on our specimens), and (iii) the setae on the dorsal surface of the anal lobes on our specimens where much longer than they illustrated. Although Lambdin and Kosztarab based their description mostly on USNM specimens and we used BMNH specimens, these were largely from the same Brazilian collection by Hempel.

The adult female of A. baccharidis falls within Group C in the key to species of Antecerococcus and keys out close to A. badius and A. zapotlanus . All three species occur in Central and South America.

Figures

FIGURE 49. Antecerococcus baccharidis (Hempel). Adult female.