158 MORPHOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF ADULT MALES 



of the specializations that Theron (1958) recorded, i.e. the absence of a post-tergite 

 and basalare are not valid as they were found to be present in this family. 



From Table 7 it can be seen that the two families share an equal number of 

 primitive and specialized features and on the basis of these facts alone it is difficult 

 to decide which of the two families is more specialized. It is clear from the table 

 that the Coccidae show an overall affinity with the more specialized Diaspididae, 

 sharing 8 out of 10 characters with that family, whereas the Pseudococcidae have 

 only 2 out of 10 characters with the Diaspididae in common. It can therefore be 

 said that the Coccidae are possibly more specialized than the Pseudococcidae. It 

 will also be remembered that the membranous area of the scutum and the median 

 ridge of the basisternum have somewhat speculatively been interpreted as being 

 primitive features. Should the opposite be true, it would prove decisively (by 7 

 specialized characters to 3 primitive) that the Coccidae were more specialized than 

 the Pseudococcidae. The conclusion that the Pseudococcidae are more primitive 

 than the Coccidae supports the opinions based on the evidence of female characters 

 (Morrison, 1928 ; Balachowsky, 1942 ; Borchsenius, 1958), cytological studies 

 (Hughes-Schrader, 1948) and earlier, less comprehensive studies of the male (Theron, 

 1958 ; Giliomee, 1961). 



From the existing literature on the males of other families of the lecanoid type, 

 scanty as it is, a few tentative conclusions can be reached regarding their relation- 

 ships to the Coccidae. Thus the illustrations and descriptions by Green (1904- 

 1909), Russel (1941) and Borchsenius (i960) indicate that the males of the Aster- 

 olecaniidae have a large membranous area in the scutum, a transverse scutellum 

 and an elongated penial sheath. In these respects they resemble the Coccidae and 

 at the same time differ from the Pseudococcidae. It can therefore be suggested that 

 the Asterolecaniidae and Coccidae are closely related, as has been advocated by 

 Balachowsky (1948) and Ferris (1955) from studies of the females. 



From the description of the male of Kermococcus querats (L.) by Borchsenius 

 (i960), it appears that the Kermococcidae are more closely related to the Coccidae 

 than to any of the other Coccoidea of which the males have been studied in detail. 

 Thus K. quercus possesses 5 pairs of simple eyes ; separate pre- and postocular 

 ridges ; a large membranous area in the scutum ; a comparatively short, transverse 

 and possibly tubular scutellum ; a deeply invaginated glandular pouch ; an elong- 

 ated penial sheath, long aedeagus and a ridge-like basal rod. In all these respects it 

 differs from the Pseudococcidae. The only character which at present appears to be 

 exclusive to the Kermococcidae and Pseudococcidae is the two-segmented tarsus. 

 The males of the Kermococcidae therefore appear to show different relationships 

 from those assigned to these forms by various workers on female Coccoidea. 

 Balachowsky (1942, 1948) grouped them together with the pseudococcids and 

 eriococcids into one family ; Ferris (1957b) regarded them as a subfamily of the 

 Eriococcidae and grouped them with the Pseudococcidae, amongst others, into the 

 ramus Eriococci, whereas the Coccidae and Asterolecaniidae were assigned to the 

 ramus Cocci. Obviously, more detailed studies are necessary before any firm 

 conclusions can be reached regarding the true relationships of these groups. 



