Valid Names Results

Antecerococcus keralae Hodgson & Williams, 2016 (Cerococcidae: Antecerococcus)

Nomenclatural History

Antecerococcus keralae Hodgson & Williams 2016: 71-74. Type data: INDIA: Kerala, Trivandrum (now known as Thiruvananthapuram), Sreekanyam, on cassava (Manihot esculenta, Euphorbiaceae), 1981. Holotype, female, by original designation Type depository: London: The Natural History Museum, England, UK; accepted valid name Illustr.

Common Names

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Euphorbiaceae

Manihot esculenta | HodgsoWi2016

Geographic Distribution

Countries: 1

India

Kerala | HodgsoWi2016

Keys

HodgsoWi2016: pp.20-21 ( Adult (F) ) [Species of Antecerococcus]

Remarks

Systematics: The adult female of A. keralae can be separated from those of all other Antecerococcus species (except perhaps A. gabonensis) in having the following combination of character-states: (i) dorsum with four sizes of 8-shaped pores, largest and intermediate-sized pores sparse throughout; (ii) apices of each stigmatic band with two smallest 8-shaped pores; (iii) lateral margins of posterior abdominal segments each with four or five large 8-shaped pores; (iv) cribriform plates in a submedial group of four on each side of abdominal segment IV; (v) leg stubs present; (vi) posterior stigmatic bands non-bifurcated; (vii) small convex closed pores present in a sparse line between anteriorspiracles and metathorax; (viii) multilocular disc-pores present across all abdominal segments and metathorax, and also mesad to each spiracle, and (ix) antennae without either a cone-like apex or a setal cavity. In having small convex closed pores near the spiracles, it is also similar to A. theydoni Hall but on the latter species (i) the convex closed pores tend to be smaller than the quinquelocular disc-pores (about the same size), (ii) the posterior stigmatic pore band is bifurcated, and (iii) the distribution of the 8-shaped pores on the dorsum is different (see figures). (Hodgson & Williams, 2016)
Structure: Adult females of A. keralae are extremely similar to those of A. gabonensis, differing mainly in the presence of two sizes of larger 8-shaped pores throughout the dorsum in A. keralae (largest pores restricted to posterior abdominal segments on A. gabonensis). Females of A. keralae differ also in other more subtle differences (character-states for A. gabonensis in brackets): (i) many fewer sclerotized convex closed pores ventrally, with none between each antenna and anterior spiracles (present); (ii) only five large 8-shaped pores on each side of posterior abdominal segments (up to 20 on each side, in two groups); and (iii) each cribriform plate with a broad margin and small area of micropores (narrower margin and with a large area of micropores). Cassava is grown widely in Africa and it is likely that many “sticks” used for planting cassava in India were originally imported from there. Based on this assumption, it could be argued that A. gabonensis could have been imported with it and therefore that the name A. keralae should be considered a synonym of A. gabonensis. However, A. gabonensis has not been collected from cassava and the above morphological differences are considered sufficiently distinct to justify their separation. (Hodgson & Williams, 2016)

General Remarks: Detailed description and illustration in Hodgson & Williams, 2016.