Redescriptions of five of Takahashi's soft scale species (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) with comments on their status and relationships.

This paper redescribes and illustrates five currently poorly known species of soft scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) originally described by Ryoichi Takahashi, namely Coccus lumpurensis Takahashi, Maacoccus scolopiae (Takahashi), Membranaria sacchari (Takahashi), Platylecanium cyperi Takahashi and P. mesuae Takahashi. Lectotypes are designated for C. lumpurensis, P. cyperi and P. mesuae. Two of these species are known only from Taiwan, and three from Malaysia. Their status and relationships are discussed. A key to the species of Maacoccus is included.

A new genus and species of soft scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) on Ficus sp. from Côte d'Ivoire.

During a brief visit to the West African Rice Development Association (WARDA) in Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire, several samples of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) were collected. Amongst these was an undescribed genus and species of soft scale (Coccidae: Coccinae), Bandamacoccus labiosus Hodgson (gen. nov. and sp. nov.). The adult female and second-instar male nymph are described below. A striking feature of both stages is the large size of the labium, which is wider than the clypeolabral shield, whilst the second-instar male also has a prominent inner submarginal band of ventral microducts.

The genera Coccus and Prococcus (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) in China, with two new combinations and descriptions of two new species.

The Chinese soft scale species in the genus Coccus Linnaeus, 1758 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) were studied. Coccus cambodiensis Takahashi and the Malaysian species C. cameronensis Takahashi are considered to be non-congeneric with Coccus hesperidum Linnaeus, 1758, the type species of Coccus, and are transferred to Prococcus Avasthi, 1993, as Prococcus cambodiensis (Takahashi, 1942), comb. n. and Prococcus cameronensis (Takahashi, 1952), comb. n. The generic diagnosis of Prococcus is revised. In the genus Coccus, two new species are described and illustrated based on adult females: Coccus nanningensis Cao Feng, sp. n. from Guangxi, China, on Ficus carica (Moraceae), and Coccus cephalotaxus Cao Feng, sp. n. from Shannxi, China, on Cephalotaxus sinensis (Taxaceae). Identification keys to separate adult females of Prococcus from Coccus, the 14 species of Coccus found in China, and all three species of Prococcus are provided.

Three new species of the genus Xenolecanium Takahasi (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae), with an updated generic diagnosis and key to species.

Among the scale insect slide mounts deposited in the Natural History Museum, London, U.K. are several that were originally collected by the late Ryoichi Takahashi. These include slides of three previously undescribed species of Xenolecanium (Coccidae: Coccomorpha), each given a manuscript name by Takahashi. These species are here formally described and illustrated: X. ryoichii Hodgson sp. nov., X. maritimum Hodgson sp. nov. and X. pendleburyi Hodgson sp. nov. A revised generic diagnosis and a key to the five species now known in Xenolecanium is included.

New genera, new species and new combinations for some African Coccomorpha (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha).

In the past, various authors have placed many species in genera that are now understood to be restricted to other regions of the world. Thus, in Africa, species of soft scale (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) with this problem are those in Ceronema Maskell, a genus probably restricted to Australia; Ceroplastodes Cockerell, probably restricted to the New World; and Inglisia Maskell, which is restricted to New Zealand. The placement of these species is reviewed here. Four of the known Ceronema species are placed in three new monotypic genera, Neoceronema gen. nov., Illovococcus gen. nov. and Bugandacoccus gen. nov., as Neoceronema africanum (Macfie) comb. nov., N. brachystegiae (Hall) comb. nov., Illovococcus mobilis (Brain) comb. nov. and Bugandacoccus gowdeyi (Newstead) comb. nov.; Ceroplastodes ritchiei Laing and C. zavatarii Bellio are transferred to Drepanococcus Williams Watson, as D. ritchiei (Laing) comb. nov. and D. zavattarii (Bellio), comb. nov., and Inglisia grevilliae Hall, I. pluvialis Hodgson and I. theobromae Newstead are transferred to Cryptinglisia Cockerell as C. grevilliae (Hall) comb. nov., C. pluvialis (Hodgson) comb. nov. and C. theobromae (Newstead) comb. nov. Keys are provided to all Drepanococcus and Cryptinglisia species, and all the African species discussed are illustrated. In addition, another new genus of African Coccidae is described, Testudovestis gen. nov., to take a new species somewhat similar to Eucalymnatus Cockerell: T. africana spec. nov. In addition, a new species of Coccus L.: Coccus moorei, spec. nov., and a new species of mealybug (Heliococcus tinglei spec. nov., Pseudococcidae), are described, both from mainland Africa. The lecanodiaspid Lecanodiaspis zygophylli Hodgson is also recorded from Nigeria for the first time.

On some new and old soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from Africa, with description of a new Coccus species and introduction of a new genus.

A new species of soft scale (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha; Cocccidae) from South Africa, Coccus giliomeei Lagowska Hodgson sp. n., collected on Gymnosporia buxifolia (L.) Szyszyl, is described and illustrated. Also, Coccus rhodesiensis (Hall) is recorded for the first time from South Africa and is redescribed and illustrated based on the adult females of the type series and fresh South African specimens. An updated key to the species of Coccus and similar species known from Africa is included. Based on this latter study, (i) Marsipococcus proteae (Brain) and M. durbanensis (Brain) are considered not to be congeneric with Marsipococcus marsupialis (Green), the type species of Marsipococcus Cockerell Bueker, and are placed in a new genus Proteacoccus Lagowska Hodgson, gen. n. with Lecanium proteae Brain as the type species; (ii) it is considered that Coccus asiaticus Lindinger is clearly not a junior synonym of Parasaissetia nigra (Nietner) and is accepted as a full species, rev. stat., and (iii) Neoplatylecanium adersi (Newstead) is considered to be non-conspecific with N. cinnamomi Takahashi, the type species of Neoplatylecanium Takahashi, and is transferred to Maacoccus Tao Wong, as Maacoccus adersi (Newstead), comb. n.

Erratum: Addendum to Zootaxa 4612 (3): On some new and old soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from Africa, with description of a new Coccus species and introduction of a new genus by B. Lagowska and Chris J. Hodgson.

Due to an oversight, the depositories of the new species, Coccus giliomeei Lagowska Hodgson, and of the new material of Coccus rhodesiensis (Hall) collected in the Transvaal, South Africa, was omitted from the manuscript.  Both lots of slides will be deposited in SANC, The South African National Collection of Insects, Pretoria, South Africa.

Revision of the soft scale genus Paralecanium (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) with the introduction of three new genera and twenty new species.

The soft scale insect genus Paralecanium Cockerell (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae), mainly characterised by the possession of fan-shaped marginal setae, has never been revised and most of the species currently recognised were described in the early part of the twentieth century. The present revision is based on the morphology of the adult females and redescribes and illustrates all 34 species or subspecies previously included in the genus. These three subspecies have been raised to full specific rank, namely P. expansum javanicum (Green) to P. javanicum (Green) stat. n.; P. expansum rotundum (Green) to P. rotundum (Green) stat. n. and P. frenchii macrozamiae (Fuller) to P. macrozamiae (Fuller) stat. n. Of the remaining previously recognised species, three have been made junior synonyms: P. album Takahashi is here considered to be a junior synonym of P. metallicum (Green), syn. n.; P. angkorense Takahashi is considered to be a junior synonym ofP. cocophyllae Banks, syn. n.; and P. limbatum Green is considered to be a junior synonym of P. geometricum (Green), syn. n. Paralecanium marianum Cockerell from Brazil is clearly not closely related to Paralecanium and so a new genus, Mariacoccus Hodgson Williams gen. n., has been introduced to take it and the adult female is redescribed and illustrated; comparison of the adult female of M. marianus with that of Coccus lizeri (Fonseca) showed that the latter species is a junior synonym of M. marianus (Cockerell), syn. n. Based on the morphology of the above species and on the new species mentioned below, two new genera have been introduced: Insularicoccus Hodgson Williams gen. n. (type species P. carolinensis Beardsley), and Discochiton Hodgson Williams gen. n. (type species D. martini Hodgson, spec. n.). This brings the number of soft scale genera with fan-shaped marginal setae to three. Diagnoses of each of these 3 genera are presented, along with a key to the genera based on adult female morphology. The species that have been left in Paralecanium Cockerell are: P. calophylli (Green), P. frenchii (Maskell), P. geometricum (Green), P. hainanense Takahashi, P. machili Takahashi, P. macrozamiae (Fuller), P. maculatum Takahashi, P. marginatum (Green), P. maritimum (Green), P. minutum Takahashi, P. neomaritimum Takahashi, P. ovatum Morrison, P. pahanense Takahashi, P. peradeniyense (Green), P. planum (Green) and P. zonatum (Green). The species transferred to Discochiton as comb. n. are: P. album Takahashi, P. cocophyllae Banks, P. expansum (Green), P. javanicum (Green), P. luzonicum Cockerell, P. malainum Takahashi, P. mancum (Green), P. metallicum (Green), P. milleri Takahashi, P. pseudexpansum (Green), P. quadratum (Green), P. rotundum (Green),P. trifasciatum (Green) and P. vacuum Morrison. The only species transferred to Insularicoccus is the type species, namelyP. carolinense (Beardsley), comb. n. In addition, adult females of the following 11 new species are described and illustrated in the genus Paralecanium (as defined here) spec. n.: P. acinaces Hodgson, P. busoense Hodgson, P. claviseta Hodgson, P. comperei Hodgson, P. cypripedium Hodgson, P. elongatum Hodgson, P. leei Hodgson, P. morobeense Hodgson, P. neoguineense Hodgson, P. palawanense Hodgson and P. vacerra Hodgson. In addition, the following 8 species are described and illustrated as Discochiton spec. n.: D. browni Hodgson, D. crenulatum Hodgson, D. diplodiscus Hodgson, D. martini Hodgson, D. papillatum Hodgson, D. paucipedis Hodgson, D. sarawakense Hodgson and D. seychellarum Williams Hodgson, and 1 species of Insularicoccus is described as new and illustrated, namely I. syzygium Hodgson spec. n. Keys, based on adult female morphology, are provided for separation of all the species in each genus. As part of this revision, the morphological characters used to diagnose species in this group of genera are re-evaluated and a number of new characters found; greater emphasis has been placed on some character-states, so the basic morphology of this group of genera is also described. Lectotypes have been designated for 22 species, namely: Lecanium calophylli Green; L. expansum Green; L. expansum javanicum Green; L. expansum metallicum Green; L. expansum rotundum Green; rotundum Green; L. geometricum Green; L. limbatum Green; L. mancum Green; L. marginatum Green; L. maritimum Green; L. peradeniyense Green; L. planum Green; L. pseudexpansum Green; L. quadratum Green; L. trifasciatum Green and L. zonatum Green. Also: Paralecanium album Takahashi; P. hainanense Takahashi; P. malianum Takahashi; P. marianum Cockerell; P. neomaritimum Takahashi and P. vacuum Morrison. Finally, an example of the first-instar nymphs, second-instar males and second/third instar females of both Paralecanium and Discochiton are described and illustrated and compared with those already known in the tribe Paralecaniini.

A new species of Marsipococcus Cockerell & Bueker (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from Malaysia.

The adult female, first-instar nymph, second-instar male, third-instar female, pupa and adult male of a new species of Marsipococcus Cockerell & Bueker (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from Malaysia, M. ulubendulensis Lagowska & Martin sp. n., are described and illustrated, while the second-instar female is only described. Marsipococcus is rediagnosed and a key to the adult females of the four species now placed in this genus is included.

Morphology of the immature female stages and the wax test of ten species of Ceroplastes (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae: Ceroplastinae) from Brazil.

This paper describes the development of the waxy test and the microscopic characters of the three female nymphal instars of Ceroplastes cirripediformis Comstock, C. diospyros Hempel, C. floridensis Comstock, C. flosculoides Matile-Ferrero, C. formicarius Hempel, C. formosus Hempel, C. grandis Hempel, C. iheringi Cockerell, C. lucidus Hempel, and C. stellifer (Westwood). The discussion compares their morphology and divides the species into three groups according to the pattern of their dermal and wax characters.

A redescription of the monotypic felt scale insect genus Pedroniopsis Green (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Eriococcidae) from India and Burma.

Here we redescribe the felt scale genus Pedroniopsis Green and its type species Pedroniopsis beesoni Green for the first time since it was described 90 years ago. We consider that the genus belongs to the family Eriococcidae as presently understood but realise that the family may not be monophyletic. The species was collected in crevices and pits on the bark of Shorea robusta (Dipterocarpaceae) from Odisha State, India, which is its only known locality in India. We also record the species from Burma (Myanmar) for the first time living in galls on Dipterocarpus tuberculatus (Dipterocarpaceae) and, therefore, the species may have a wider distribution but has not been observed because of its cryptic habit. The adult females of the genus and species have some unusual features such as truncate-conical marginal and dorsal setae that are mostly bifid at the tip. We suggest that the genus may be similar in some respects to the genus Sangicoccus Reyne known from farther east in southern Asia.

A new species in the indigenous New Zealand soft scale insect genus Kalasiris Henderson & Hodgson (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) on Gahnia setifolia (Cyperaceae).

The genus Kalasiris Henderson & Hodgson (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) is currently only known from New Zealand. The adult female and pupa of a new species, K. martini Hodgson & Richmond are described and illustrated below and the possible taxonomic relationships of the genus to other New Zealand genera are discussed.

A revision of the family Cerococcidae Balachowsky (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.

The scale insect family Cerococcidae (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) or false pit scales was last revised during the 1970s and 1980s. At that time, it included three genera, Asterococcus Borchsenius, Cerococcus Comstock and Solenophora Maskell, and a total of 69 species. The present revision concentrates on species known from the western Palaearctic, western Oriental and Afrotropical Regions but includes notes on all known cerococcid species. Within the three geographical areas principally studied here, all known species are described and illustrated based on the adult females, including 13 new species. During this study, a new morphological character was discovered on the venter of the anal lobes that is taxonomically important and which is referred to as the anteroventral sclerotization. It was found that the anteroventral sclerotization was present in most species from the main study areas, but was absent from all species in the Nearctic and from many in the Australasian and Neotropical Regions as well. As the type species of Cerococcus is C. quercus Comstock from the Nearctic, the genus Antecerococcus Green, revived status (type species Cerococcus punctiferus Green) was resurrected to take all species with an anteroventral sclerotization. Resurrection of Antecerococcus means that names of genera previously synonymised with Cerococcus are now junior synonyms of Antecerococcus, e.g., Phenacobryum Cockerell, syn. nov., Amelococcus Marchal, syn. nov., Cercococcus Scott, syn. nov. and Coricoccus Mahdihassan, syn. nov. As a range of other characters also were found to support this division (such as absence of setae along inner margin of each anal lobe and presence of a ventral seta posteriorly on each lobe), the genera in Cerococcidae can be divided into two groups, those with an anteroventral sclerotization (Antecerococcus and probably Solenophora) and those without (Asterococcus and Cerococcus). As part of this revision, it was found necessary to consider the morphological limits of all current genera, including those from outside the western Palaearctic, western Oriental and Afrotropical Regions. This resulted in a new genus, Cerochiton Hodgson & Williams, gen. nov., with three species from the Oriental Region. This genus also falls within the Cerococcus-group of genera. In addition, it was found that, with the inclusion of As. ovoides (Cockerell) from South Africa, Asterococcus was not morphologically monophyletic and so this species has been transferred to Antecerococcus as Antecerococcus ovoides (Cockerell), comb. nov. The following revived combinations are included: Antecerococcus bryoides Maskell and A. stellatus Maskell. In addition, the following Cerococcus species have been transferred to Antecerococcus as comb. nov.: Cerococcus albospicatus Green, C. ankaratrae Mamet, C. asparagi Joubert, C. camarai Neves, C. cistarum Balachowsky, C. cliffortiae Joubert, C. cycliger Goux, C. dumonti Vayssière, C. fradei Castel-Branco, C. gabonensis Lambdin, C. gallicolus Mamet, C. intermedius Balachowsky, C. laniger Goux, C. longipilosus Archangelskaya, C. madagascariensis Mamet, C. multipororum Lambdin & Kosztarab, C. oranensis Balachowsky, C. ornatus Green, C. passerinae Brain, C. perowskiae Archangelskaya, C. philippiae Lambdin & Kosztarab, C. pileae Mamet, C. pocilliferus Neves, C. polyporus Matesova, C. roseus Green, C. royenae Brain, C. ruber Balachowsky, C. steppicus Balachowsky and C. theydoni Hall. The following have also been transferred to Antecerococcus as comb. nov.: Amelococcus alluaudi Marchal, Cercococcus eremobius Scott, Eriococcus paradoxus indica Maskell, Phenacobryum indigoferae Borchsenius and Pollinia ovoides Cockerell. Two further undescribed species were discovered, one from Mexico and the other from Java, and a number of synonyms were found of names that are now all in Antecerococcus, as follows: Cerococcus camarai Neves is a junior synonym of Cerococcus intermedius Balachowsky, syn. nov.; Cerococcus cycliger Goux is a junior synonym of Cerococcus intermedius Balachowsky, syn. nov.; Phenacobryum indigoferae Borchsenius is a junior synonym of Cerococcus roseus Green, syn. nov.; Cerococcus multipororum Lambdin is a junior synonym of Cerococcus fradei Castel-Branco, syn. nov.; Cercococcus polyporus Matesova is a junior synonym of Cerococcus perowskiae Archangelskaya, syn. nov., and Antecerococcus punctiferus Green is a junior synonym of Cerococcus paradoxus Maskell, syn. nov. In addition, the following new species have been described: Antecerococcus andamanensis Hodgson & Williams, from the Andaman Islands; Antecerococcus capensis Hodgson & Williams, from South Africa; Antecerococcus delottoi Hodgson & Williams, from Kenya; Antecerococcus hilli Hodgson & Williams, from The Seychelles; Antecerococcus insleyae Hodgson & Williams, from South Africa; Antecerococcus kakemegae Hodgson & Williams, from Kenya; Antecerococcus keralae Hodgson & Williams, from southern India; Antecerococcus kurraensis Hodgson & Williams, from Nigeria; Antecerococcus muntingi Hodgson & Williams, from South Africa; Antecerococcus oumeensis Hodgson & Williams, from Ivory Coast; Antecerococcus sparsiporus Hodgson & Williams, from from South Africa;  Antecerococcus thesii Hodgson & Williams from  South Africa; Antecerococcus yemenicus Hodgson & Williams, from Yemen; Cerochiton bernardi Hodgson & Williams, from Java, and Cerococcus asteris Hodgson & Williams, from Mexico. Thus, at the end of this study, the family Cerococcidae includes five genera and 80 species (Antecerococcus with 55 species (13 of them new), Asterococcus with eight species, Cerochiton with three species (one of them new), Cerococcus with 13 species (1 of them new and including two unplaced species), and Solenophora with one species). Keys are provided for the separation of the five genera and also for the species in each genus based on adult female morphology. Lectotypes have been designated for Cerococcus asparagi Joubert, C camarai Neves, C. cistarum Balachowsky, C. cliffortiae Joubert, C. coffeae Vayssière, C. cycliger Goux, C. dumonti Vayssière, C. hibisci Green, C. intermedius Balachowsky, C. laniger Goux, C. pocilliferus Neves, C. royenae Brain and C. ruber Balachowsky, and for Cercococcus eremobius Scott and Solenophora coloradensis Cockerell. In addition, it was found that the lectotype of Eriococcus paradoxus Maskell (now Antecerococcus paradoxus) had been designated based on a specimen of Eriococcus paradoxus indica Maskell (now Antecerococcus indicus). This designation has been revoked and new lectotypes for Eriococcus paradoxus and Eriococcus paradoxus indica have been designated. Following the taxonomic section, the geographic distribution of each genus is briefly discussed. Asterococcus (with the removal of A. ovoides) is now restricted to the Oriental Region; Cerochiton is restricted to the southern part of the Oriental Region; Cerococcus appears to be restricted to Central and North America, while Antecerococcus has a world-wide distribution but is most abundant in the western Palaearctic, western Oriental and Afrotropical Regions. The single species now in Solenophora is only known from New Zealand. Two species, "Cerococcus" indonesiensis Lambdin & Kosztarab and "Cerococcus" michaeli Lambdin do not appear to belong to Cerococcus, but are being left there pending further studies and are referred to here as "unplaced species".

A new species of Bambusaspis Cockerell (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha) colonising bamboo in Malaysia.

All life stages (adult female and male, first-instar nymph, second-instar male and female nymphs, and prepupa and pupa) of a new species of Asterolecaniidae, Bambusaspis transversa Lagowska & Martin sp. n., from bamboo in Malaysia, are described and illustrated. The adult female and first-instar nymphs are compared with those Bambusaspis species considered to be closest to the new species.

Opportunities and limitations of molecular methods for quantifying microbial compliance parameters in EU bathing waters.

The debate over the suitability of molecular biological methods for the enumeration of regulatory microbial parameters (e.g. Faecal Indicator Organisms [FIOs]) in bathing waters versus the use of traditional culture-based methods is of current interest to regulators and the science community. Culture-based methods require a 24-48hour turn-around time from receipt at the laboratory to reporting, whilst quantitative molecular tools provide a more rapid assay (approximately 2-3h). Traditional culturing methods are therefore often viewed as slow and 'out-dated', although they still deliver an internationally 'accepted' evidence-base. In contrast, molecular tools have the potential for rapid analysis and their operational utility and associated limitations and uncertainties should be assessed in light of their use for regulatory monitoring. Here we report on the recommendations from a series of international workshops, chaired by a UK Working Group (WG) comprised of scientists, regulators, policy makers and other stakeholders, which explored and interrogated both molecular (principally quantitative polymerase chain reaction [qPCR]) and culture-based tools for FIO monitoring under the European Bathing Water Directive. Through detailed analysis of policy implications, regulatory barriers, stakeholder engagement, and the needs of the end-user, the WG identified a series of key concerns that require critical appraisal before a potential shift from culture-based approaches to the employment of molecular biological methods for bathing water regulation could be justified.

Are some prepupae and pupae of male mealybugs and root mealybugs (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Pseudococcidae and Rhizoecidae) mobile?

It is hypothesised here that some mealybug (Pseudococcidae) and root mealybug (Rhizoecidae) prepupae and pupae are mobile. The prepupa and pupa of the mealybug Promyrmococcus dilli Williams and the prepupa of the root mealybug Ripersiella malschae (Williams) are described and illustrated and their probable mobility is discussed. It is also suggested that the prepupae and pupae of the mealybug Macrocepicoccus loranthi Morrison can move rapidly on the leaves when disturbed.