Valid Names Results

Cissococcus braini Hodgson & Millar, 2011 (Coccidae: Cissococcus)

Nomenclatural History

• Cissococcus fulleri; Brain 1918: 133-134. misidentification (discovered by HodgsoMiGu2011, 25-26).
• Cissococcus braini Hodgson & Millar 2011: 25-30. Type data: SOUTH AFRICA: Eastern Cape, Boesmansriviermond, 33°40'S 26°39'E, 11/26/2005, in gall of Rhoicissus digitata, by P.J. Gullan. Holotype, female, Type depository: Pretoria: South African National Collection of Insects, South Africa; accepted valid name

Common Names

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• HodgsoMaMi2011: pp.7 ( Adult (F) ) [Key for the separation of adult females of Cissococcus species and Key for the separation of galls of adult females of Cissococcus]

Remarks

• Systematics: Originally it was placed in the Eriococcidae by Cockerell (1902) but later was considered to be a soft scale (Coccidae) and placed in its own subfamily, the Cissococcinae. (Hodgson, et al., 2011) The morphology of the adult females of Cissococcus species is very similar apart from the structure of the dorsum. It appears that the dorsum of the type species, C. fulleri, is almost flat (at least, it comes to lie flat on the slide once mounted) whereas the dorsum of C. braini, is rather larger and perhaps C-shaped, so that, during the mounting process, the dorsum is bent on itself. The consequence of this is that the actual dorsal surface of the anterior end of the dorsum (with the eyespots) faces ventrally and is more or less hidden on C. braini. Other differences between the adult females of the two species are (character states on C. fulleri in parentheses): (i) setae on dorsal surface of anal plates relatively few and not covering more than about half surface (numerous, covering almost entire surface); (ii) spiracles rather larger, smallest about 75 µm wide (smaller, largest 65 µm wide), and (iii) setae on lower venter very long, mostly more than 65 µm long (shorter, mostly 50 µm or less). (Hodgson, et al., 2011) The third-instar female of C. braini differs from that of C. fulleri in having: (i) abundant loculate pores medially on the thorax, (ii) many more marginal setae, and (iii) antennae only 5 segmented rather than 6 segmented. It differs from adult female C. braini (data for adult female in brackets) as follows: (i) dorsum of third instar about half total body length (much less than half total body length); (ii) ventral loculate pores frequent only medially on thoracic segments (abundant throughout most of venter); (iii) setae on lower venter few and fairly short (abundant and long), and (iv) dorsum with 8 or 9 pairs of setae (frequent throughout). (Hodgson, et al., 2011)
• Structure: The female induces a tilted, conical to ovoid or pear-shaped gall 8-13 mm long, 7-8 mm high and of similar width, with apex truncate; orifice leading to gall chamber minute, circular to elongate, maximum dimension 0.3-0.5 mm, at bottom of a small outer chamber or concavity at apex of gall. Males are not known but presumably are free-living (Hodgson et al. 2011)
• General Remarks: The adult female of what was thought to be C. fulleri was redescribed by Hodgson (1994) but, with the availability of much new material, it now appears that the species illustrated in detail was a new species, C. braini, Detailed descriptions and illustrations of adult female, third-instar female and first-instar by Hodgson and Millar in Hodgson et al. (2011)

Illustrations

Citations