Philephedra broadwayi broadwayi (Cockerell)

Family

Coccidae

Field characters

Body usually oval. Dead females are reddish brown. Coloration of living stages has not been reported, possibly dark colored. A nest like ovisac is formed under the body of the female; it is white and does not extend behind the female like in other species of Philephedra. Females apparently occur on the stems, branches, and fruit of the host. Males have not been reported.

Validation characters

Dorsal setae absent; marginal setae spinose; without submarginal tubercles (2-ringed ducts); more than 8 apical and discal setae on each anal plate; tubular ducts abundant on both surfaces. Other characters: Multilocular pores predominantly with 10 loculi, present on abdomen; with 3 or 4 stigmatic setae in each furrow, usually larger than marginal setae, with rounded or bifurcate apices, often interspersed with marginal setae; claw without a denticle; claw digitules large, equal; 3 pairs of prevulvar setae (posterior pair often obscured by anal plates); each anal plate with 4 subapical setae; anal fold with 2 fringe setae; with conspicuous tibio-tarsal sclerosis; antennae 8-segmented; preopercular pores scattered over dorsal surface.

Comparison

Philephedra broadwayi is similar to other species of Philephedra by lacking dorsal setae and by having spinose marginal setae, robust legs, and 8-segmented antennae. Philephedra broadwayi differs from other species in the genus by having many discal setae on the anal plates, lacking submarginal tubercles, and by producing an ovisac that does not extend behind the body of the female.

U.S. quarantine notes

This species was intercepted 16 times at U. S. ports-of-entry between 1995 and 2012, with specimens originating from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Puerto Rico, and Tortola. In recent years it has most commonly been taken in quarantine from the Caribbean on tropical fruit such as Annona, Musa, Citrus and Psidium. We also have examined specimens taken in quarantine from Colombia (Mangifera), Dominica (Musa, Theobroma), Ecuador (Annona), Grenada (Annona), Nevis (Annona), Trinidad (Annona, Mangifera), West Indies (Pimenta). ScaleNet includes hosts in 5 plant families from 6 Neotropical countries. Three other species of Philephedra other than P. broadwayi , P. lutea (Cockerell) and P. tuberculosa Nakahara & Gill have been taken at U. S. ports-of-entry: P. floridana Nakahara & Gill (Honduras, on unknown leaves); P. cresentiae (Cockerell) (Mexico, on Leucaena); and P. parvula Cockerell (Mexico, on Leucaena).

Important references

Cocker1896d; Green1916b; NakahaGi1985.

Scalenet catalog and citation list

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