Taxonomic revision of the myrmecophilous, meliponiphilous and rhizophilous soft scale genus Cryptostigma Ferris (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Coccidae)

Abstract

The present study revises the soft scale insects of the genus Cryptostigma Ferris (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Coccidae), which comprises a group of New World species associated with ants or bees or of hypogeal habit. It includes 17 species, of which 10 species are new to science. The study is based on the external, mostly cuticular morphology of the adult females and first-instar nymphs. Taxonomic keys based on adult females and known first-instar nymphs are provided. For each species a description or redescription is given, followed by information on its distribution, host plants, and known biological information including associated ants or bees. The new species described are Cryptostigma chacoensis sp. nov., C. gullanae sp. nov., C. jonmartini sp. nov., C. longinoi sp. nov., C. melissophilum sp. nov., C. mexicanum sp. nov., C. philwardi , sp. nov. C. rhizophilum sp. nov., C. serratum sp. nov., and C. tuberculosum sp. nov. Neolecanium urichi (Cockerell) is transferred to Cryptostigma as C. urichi (Cockerell) comb. nov., and C. quinquepori (Newstead) is synonymized with Cryptostigma urichi, comb. nov. Lectotypes are designated for Cryptostigma saundersi Laing, Lecanium silveirai Hempel, Lecanium urichi Cockerell and Akermes quinquepori Newstead. Cryptostigma inquilina (Newstead) is amended to C. inquilinum in order to match the neutral ending “stigma”. The following names are treated as nomina nuda: Cryptostigma jamaicensis and Lecanopsis jamaicensis (Ben-Dov, 1993: 97).