Valid Names Results
Apticoccus Koteja & Azar, 2008 (
Apticoccidae)
Nomenclatural History
- Apticoccus
Koteja & Azar
2008: 156.
Type species: Apticoccus minutus Koteja & Azar
by monotypy and original designation
.
accepted valid name
Remarks
- Systematics: Koteja and Azar (2008) tentatively classified Apticoccus in the family Electrococcidae. This family was created by Koteja (2000b) after the author described the genus Turonicoccus
Koteja from New Jersey amber and suggested that this genus and Electrococcus, described from Canadian amber (Beardsley, 1969), belong to the same family. The assignment of Apticoccus to Electrococcidae is, however, uncertain, according to Koteja and Azar (2008),
probably because of the poorly preserved holotype. Based on newly studied material, Vea & Grimaldi (2015) created the new family Apticoccidae for Apticoccus, based on the following differences with Turonicoccus and Electrococcus: head small and generally narrower than thorax (vs. head as large as thoracic structures), antennae without short, fleshy setae or capitate setae (vs. capitate setae and presence of short fleshy setae in Turonicoccus), apical segments with bristles forming a brush (vs. absent), one tarsal segment (vs. two tarsal segments), scutellum rectangular, transverse and narrow (vs. enlarged rectangular scutellum), penial sheath spinelike (vs. shorter
triangular penial sheath). The phylogenetic analysis retrieved Apticoccidae as an independent, monophyletic lineage, sister group to all neococcoid families. Furthermore, Apticoccus was not
found to be related to either Turonicoccus or Electrococcus. (Vea & Grimaldi, 2015)
- Structure: Apticoccus differs from Turonicoccus and Electrococcus by the combination of the following characters: body especially small (less than 800 μm long) (vs. larger); head narrow; antennae 10-segmented, with scape almost meeting anteriorly (vs. not meeting medially); antennal segments shorter distally (vs. of almost equal length), with fleshy setae on flagellar segments and forming a brush on apical segment (vs. not forming a brush); capitate setae absent (vs. present); ocular sclerite with a row of six simple eyes on each side, ventral eyes located more posteriorly than dorsal eyes and meeting on venter, with a V-shaped appearance; scutellum rectangular and transversely narrow; legs with two finely clavate tarsal digitules, each longer than claw without claw digitules or claw denticles; wings with subcostal and cubital ridges originating at base of wing; surface of wing with microtrichia; hamulohalteres broad (vs. narrow in Turonicoccus), with two hamuli; penial sheath elongate and pointed, at least 1/7 body length (vs. short and triangular). (Vea & Grimaldi, 2015)
- General Remarks: Descriprion and definition (Based on adult male only) by Koteja & Azar (2008).
Keys
Associated References
3 Species
