OF PSEUDOCOCCIDAE & ERIOCOCCIDAE 63 



The presence of the lateral arms of the midcranial ridge is considered as a 

 secondary specialization since they are absent in primitive families (Margarodidae), 

 but reappear in most specialized ones such as Coccidae and Diaspididae. 



(b) The absence of : various sclerites (as an expression of sclerite degeneration) ; 

 disc pores ; dorsal and ventral arms of midcranial ridge ; lateral ocelli ; pronotal 

 ridges ; cervical sclerites ; metapleural ridges ; hamulohalterae ; tarsal digitules ; 

 glandular pouches and their setae. 



On the other hand, the following conditions were considered as being primitive : 



(a) The strong development of : postoccipital ridge : distinct neck region ; 

 basalare. 



(b) The presence of : more than 2 pairs of simple eyes ; separated anterior 

 tentorial arms ; prosternal or metasternal apophyses ; large lateropleurites ; 

 more than one hamulohalteral seta ; preapical denticle of the claw. 



The presence of a small, narrow sclerite identified as the trochantin (first mentioned 

 by Giliomee, 1961, and noticed but not identified as such by Makel, 1942), and 

 found in all Pseudococcidae here studied except N. bifrons, should be considered 

 as a primitive condition. It was not discussed at all by Theron, but Weber (1928) 

 and Roberti (1946) found it in Aphis. 



(c) The absence of : prosternal ridge ; marginal ridge of the basisternum ; 

 metapostnotal ridge. 



a. Groups of genera : 



The proposed groups of Pseudococcidae are : 



I. The Nairobia group, represented by the genus Nairobia only, is the most 

 specialized among the Pseudococcidae here studied. The exclusive characters of 

 this group are : 



(1) The disc pores entirely absent. 



(2) The lateral ocelli vestigial. 



(3) Antennal segments III to X with a dominant number of capitate, apically 

 knobbed sensory setae. 



(4) The trochantin absent. 



(5) The metapostnotal ridge absent. 



(6) The basal ridges of the penial sheath ventro-medially continuous and their 

 projections absent. 



(7) The absence of the postmesostigmatal and the alar setae, and the abdominal 

 dorsal setae of segment VIII. 



The group exhibits a large number of specializations which include four of the 

 above-listed exclusive characters (1, 2, 6 and 7) as well as : (5) the reduction of 

 the prosternal plates, (6) the weak development of the basalare, (7) the absence of the 

 tarsal digitules, and (8) the reduction of the setae of the glandular pouches. 



