156 MORPHOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF ADULT MALES 



Two genera of which the males were studied by Theron (1958, 1962), i.e. Steingelia 

 and Phenacoleachia, were regarded by him as occupying an intermediate position 

 between the more primitive margaroids (Margarodes and Pseudaspidoproctus) on 

 the one hand and the lecanoids (Coccidae and Pseudococcidae) on the other. He 

 showed that Steingelia and Phenacoleachia were closely related, but that thev 

 differ in a number of striking features. When one investigates whether these 

 differences throw any light on the relationships of the two genera with the two 

 lecanoid families, rather interesting results are found, as shown in Table 6. In this 

 table the characters known to differentiate male Steingelia and Phenacoleachia are 

 listed and compared with conditions in the Coccidae and Pseudocociddae. 



Table 6 

 Characters differentiating male Steingelia and Phenacoleachia compared with 



CONDITIONS IN COCCIDAE AND PSEUDOCOCCIDAE 



1. Postoccipital ridge completely absent. 



2. Postocular ridge present. 



3. Cranial apophysis extended. 



4. Membranous area of scutum present. 



5. Scutellum short, transverse. 



6. Median ridge of basisternum present. 



7. Disc pores on body (other than 

 glandular pouch) absent. X 



From the table it can be seen that, in 6 out of 7 cases, similar conditions obtain 

 in Steingelia and the Coccidae whereas, of the opposite conditions, all 7 characters 

 are shared between Phenacoleachia and the Pseudococcidae. These results indicate 

 that the Coccidae are more similar to Steingelia than to Phenacoleachia, and the 

 Pseudococcidae more to Phenacoleachia than to Steingelia. At this stage of research 

 it is difficult to determine, however, whether the similarities have any phylogenetic 

 significance or whether they are merely due to convergence. 



In a number of characters, male Coccidae differ from male Pseudococcidae, the 

 only other lecanoid family of which the male has so far been studied in detail 

 (Theron, 1958 ; Giliomee, 1961). These characters are listed in Table 7 and com- 

 pared with conditions obtaining in the basic margaroid (i.e. excluding Steingelia 

 and Phenacoleachia) and diaspidoid types. 



Cocc- 



Stein- 



Phenaco- 



Pseudo- 



idae 



gelia 



leachia 



coccidae 



X 



X 



- 



- 



X 



- 



X 



X 



X 



X 



- 



- 



X 



X 



- 



- 



X 



X 



- 



- 



X 



X 



_ 



_ 



