64 MORPHOLOGY AND TAXONOMY OF ADULT MALES 



It also features a few primitive conditions including : (i) the absence of the 

 metapostnotal ridge (exclusive character No. 5), (2) the weak development of the 

 lateral arms of the midcranial ridge, (3) the absence of the interocular ridges, (4) 

 separated anterior tentorial arms, and (5) the absence of ostioles. 



This group shares with Eriococcidae the absence of three characters typical of 

 Pseudococcidae (i.e. the absence of : disc pores, metapostnotal ridge and trochantin), 

 and probably represents a link between these two families. 



As far as the existing literature is concerned, none of the previously described 

 genera could be assigned to this group. 



II. The Ceroputo group, represented by two closely related genera, Ceroputo 

 and Centrococcus, which share between them a large number of characters (103) ; 

 this group is less specialized than Nairobia and shows the following exclusive 

 conditions : 



(1) The ventral head pores present. 



(2) The 3rd antennal segment ii or more times as long as the terminal 



segment. 



(3) The 3rd antennal segment more than 5-3 times as long as wide. 



(4) The capitate, apically knobbed sensory setae of the antennae entirely 



absent. 



(5) The dorsal and the ventral margins of the proepisternum heavily sclero- 



tized and ridge-like. 



(6) The prescutal ridges posteriorly continuous. 



(7) The glandular pouches and their setae present on each side of abdominal 



segments VII and VIII. 



The specializations of the group include two of the above-listed exclusive 

 characters (5 & 6) and : (3) the presence of a ridge-like projection or sclerotized arm 

 extending anteriorly from the postocular ridge, (4) the reduction of the scutum, 

 (5) the weak development of the basalare, (6) the absence of the tarsal digitules, 

 and (7) the short setae of the glandular pouches. 



The primitive features are two of the exclusive characters (1 & 7) and : (3) the 

 weak development of the lateral arms of the midcranial ridge, and (4) the separation 

 of the anterior tentorial arms. 



From the available generalized descriptions of the males of Phenacoccus aceris 

 (Sign.) (Sulc, 1943), Heterococcus graminicola Morrison (Morrison, 1945), Phena- 

 coccus piceae Loew (Jancke, 1955) and Phenacoccus gossypii Townsend & Ckll. 

 (Beardsley, i960, 1962), it appears that the genera Phenacoccus and Heterococcus 

 also belong to this group. The descriptions indicate that all these species have 

 glandular pouches and associated setae on each side of abdominal segments VII 

 and VIII, which is the most distinctive exclusive character of the Ceroputo group 

 of genera. 



III. The Octococcus group is fairly specialized and represented by one genus 

 only, Octococcus. Its only representative species (0. africanus) exhibits a number 



