Valid Names Results

Delottococcus quaesitus (Brain, 1915) (Pseudococcidae: Delottococcus)

Nomenclatural History

• Pseudococcus quaesitus Brain 1915: 123. Type data: SOUTH AFRICA: Pretoria, on Acacia caffra and A.robusta; Grahamstown, on A. horrida. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Pretoria: South African National Collection of Insects, South Africa; accepted valid name Illustr.
• Allococcus quaesitus (Brain, 1915); De Lotto 1977: 22. change of combination
• Delottococcus quaesitus (Brain, 1915); Cox & Ben-Dov 1986: 488. change of combination

Common Names

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 2 | Genera: 3

Foes:

Families: 1 | Genera: 8

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• MillerGi2011: pp.638-639 ( ) [Key to species of Delottococcus]

Remarks

• Systematics: De Lotto (1958a) synonymised with this species both Pseudococcus elisabethae Brain, 1915 and Ps. trichiliae Brain, 1915, but later, De Lotto (1977) resurrected these species. This species is most similar to Delottococcus proteae by having translucent pores on the hind femur, oral-collar tubular ducts near cerarius 13, and 14 or fewer pairs of cerarii. Delottococcus quaesitus differs by having: (characters in brackets are those of D. proteae) five or more ventral submarginal multilocular pores on each side of abdomen, usually more than 10 (submarginal multilocular pores normally absent, rarely with up to three), dorsal setae on segment VII 24-38 µm long (40-60 µm), 9-19 oral-rim tubular ducts ondorsum of abdominal segment V (three or four ducts). (Miller & Giliomee, 2011)
• Structure: Brain (1915) wrote ‘The ovisacs are often collected into masses...and present a pinkish tinge...Seen singly...the ovisacs are.usually more or less button-shaped, with straight vertical sides and a rounded top. The largest.observed measured approximately 3mm.in diameter. Ova: bright orange ...Larva at first orangeyellow...later pinkish...Adult 9 may reach 4mm...pinkish at first and later purplish, with dense, white, powdery secretion. Lateral filaments short.and fragile. Caudal filaments two in number,.stout, may attain one-third the length of the body. The male puparia are apparently hidden amongst the clusters of 9 ovisacs. [The adult males] were...with the head brown...but the whole insect was ...densely powdered. They have two caudal filaments.’ Brain found heavy infestations of the.species in holes in acacia trees that were attended by ants.Hewrote ‘It was remarkable that although there were hundreds of female insects in the holes, none were observed on the twigs of the tree itself.’. (Miller & Giliomee, 2011)
• General Remarks: Good description and illustration of the adult female given by Brain (1915), De Lotto (1958a) and by De Lotto (1977).

Illustrations

Citations