Stictococcus sjostedti Cockerell

Family

Stictococcidae

Field characters

Body oval, greenish brown, flattened dorsally but with margin raised off host surface like edge of coin, body margin crenulate; anal opening near center of body; body segmentation deeply grooved in submarginal areas, also with series of deep pits; mealy wax beneath body; somewhat similar in appearance to soft scales but raised body margin and anal opening position distinctive. Not forming ovisac. Males present. Occurring on stems, small branches, and fruit.

Validation characters

Enlarged marginal setae usually bifurcate or with 3 projections; dorsal submarginal setae simple, without fringing, primarily straight. Other characters: Anal opening near middle of body; anal structure with sclerotized ring surrounding an anterior and posterior plate each with several setae; claw and tarsal digitules unusually large, extra enlarged tarsal seta also present.

Comparison

Stictococcus sjostedti is similar to S. intermedius by having long setae on dorsum, unusual leg setae, and raised body margin. Stictococcus sjostedti differs by having marginal setae usually with 3 or fewer projections (more than 3 projections in S. intermedius), dorsal submarginal setae simple, not divided (divided along shaft in S. intermedius), dorsal submarginal setae primarily straight (primarily curved in S. intermedius).

U.S. quarantine notes

This species was intercepted 135 times on a variety of hosts at U. S. ports-of-entry between 1995 and 2012, with specimens originating from Cameroon, Cote D`Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria. We also have examined specimens taken in quarantine from Cameroon (Dacryodes); Cote D’Ivorie (Citrus); Ghana (Dacryodes, Theobroma, Uvaria); Liberia (Coffea); Nigeria (Annona, Cajanus, Chrysophyllum, Cola, Cyperus, Inga, Manilkara, Piper, Pouteria, Synsepalum, Theobroma, Uvaria, Uvariopsis). ScaleNet includes hosts in over 10 plant families; it is listed from the Afrotropical zoogeographic region. One species of Stictococcus other than S. formicarius Newstead, S. intermedius Newstead and S. sjostedti has been intercepted at a U. S. port-of-entry, S. pujoli Richard (Nigeria, on Manilkara).

Important references

Cocker1903c; Richar1971; Richar1976.

Scalenet catalog and citation list

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