Platylecanium, Cockerell & Robinson, 1915

Hodgson, Chris, 2025, Revision of the soft scale genus Platylecanium (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae), with descriptions of eight new species, Zootaxa 5646 (2), pp. 151-198 : 153

PLATYLECANIUM Cockerell & Robinson, 1915

Platylecanium Cockerell & Robinson, 1915a: 427 .

Platilecanium Danzig & Konstantinova, 1990: 44. Misspelling of genus name.

Platylecarium Tang, 1991: 135 , misspelling of genus name.

Type species: Platylecanium cribrigerum Cockerell & Robinson , by original designation.

Generic diagnosis. (Features in italics of particular taxonomic significance). Belonging to the family Coccidae . Body sometimes asymmetrical; usually flat; membranous when young but becoming sclerotised at maturity; in life, probably covered in a thin glassy/waxy test.Anal cleft usually about 1/6 th ‒1/7 th of body length. Dorsum with a sparse reticulate pattern of pores and setae, these lines of pores and setae most obvious near margin; lines extending from margin and forming reticulation plates; generally with 3 or 4 longitudinal bands of reticulation plates on each side (though this can be hard to determine due to paucity of setae and pores medially). With a ray of unsclerotised derm extending radially from each stigmatic cleft (not visible on non-mature specimens). Dorsum with various patterns of dermal ornamentation, including areolations, particularly submarginally. Eye spots displaced to medially on dorsum almost dorsad to scape ( Fig. 1E ). Dorsal setae usually shorter than marginal setae and each often raised on a membranous mound. With 4 (rarely 5) pairs of clear areas on abdomen, each usually with associated preopercular pores. Dorsal tubercles, pocket-like sclerotisations and tubular ducts absent. Anal plates together quadrate, with 4 fine setae near the apex: 2 near inner margin, 1 on apex and 1 near posterior margin. Anal cleft usually with 1 or 2 pairs of small setae along anterior margin and 1‒4 pairs on each lateral margin. Anal ring with 6 setae, ventral anal ring setae largest and longest. Margin with or without ornamentation, when present in the form of crenulations. Marginal setae finely setose and generally rather sparse, mainly positioned in groups at each reticulation point; often also present along outer margins of each stigmatic cleft. Stigmatic clefts quite deep, each with a narrow entrance and sides almost touching, and with innermost margins of cleft heavily sclerotised; each cleft usually with 3 stigmatic setae but more present in some species. Venter. Ventral tubular ducts absent. Preantennal pores absent. Multilocular disc-pores usually with 10 or 11 loculi, restricted to abdominal segments VI and VII only or V, VI and VII. Spiracular disc-pores small, mainly with 5 loculi, usually present in narrow bands 1 or 2 pores wide. Ventral microducts small to minute. Antennae usually greatly reduced but occasionally with up to six segments visible. Clypeolabral shield typical of Coccidae but clypeal setae absent. Spiracles small. Legs either absent or represented by little more than claws without digitules.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Platylecanium asymmetricum Morrison, adult female (paratype female, Singapore). Where A= a clear area; C = crenulations; E = eyepost; L = a reticulation line between reticulation plates; M = a marginal reticulation point, where a reticulation line reaches the margin, and P = a reticulation plate, the margins of which are indicated by reticulation lines.