ACLERDIDAE Cockerell, 1905

ACLERDIDAE Cockerell, 1905 View in CoL View at ENA

Aclerda Signoret 1874, 96 View in CoL . Type species: Aclerda subterranea Signoret View in CoL by monotypy.

Pseudolecanium Cockerell 1896b, 19 . Type species: Pseudolecanium tokionis Cockerell. Type designation unknown. Junior synonym, Fernald 1903, 210.

Introduction. Signoret (1874) introduced the genus Aclerda for a group of scale insects that mainly inhabit grasses and exhibit rather specialised morphological characters. Signoret considered Aclerda to be closely related to his soft scale genus Lecanopsis . Aclerda was later placed in its own family, Aclerdidae , by Teague (1925). Since then, the family was critically examined by McConnell (1954), who introduced 2 additional genera, Nipponaclerda McConnell from Japan, clearly closely related to Aclerda , and Rhodesaclerda McConnell which occurs on mistletoe in Zimbabwe. The Aclerdidae is now considered to contain two subfamilies ( Hodgson & Millar 2002): Rhodesaclerdinae Hodgson & Miller, with Rhodesaclerda (3 spp.) and Kwazulaclerda ( 1 sp.), both from southern Africa, and Aclerdinae Cockerell, including Aclerda (52 spp.), Lecanaclerda ( 1 sp. from South Africa) and Nipponaclerda (4 spp. from Asia). Currently, therefore, it includes five genera and 61 species ( García Morales et al. 2019). The family Aclerdidae is generally accepted as being either sister to Micrococcidae , with the micrococcids plus aclerdids sister to the coccids ( Miller & Williams, 1995) or sister to Coccidae ( Miller & Hodgson 1997; Hodgson 2002; Hodgson & Millar 2002; Hodgson & Hardy 2013; Vea & Grimaldi 2016). The only molecular study that has included a member of the Acleridae ( Aclerda takahashii Kuwana ) is that of T. Kondo & L.G Cook (unpublished data based on a Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of the family Coccidae using DNA sequences based on 18S, 28S and partial CO1 data), who found that the Aclerdidae fell within the Coccidae .

The only detailed descriptions of male Aclerdidae are those of Nada et al. (1976) of A. arundinariae McConnell, and Hodgson and Millar (2002) ( Lecanaclerda macropoda Hodgson & Millar , Rhodesaclerda combreticola McConnell , R. insleyae Hodgson & Millar and Kwazulaclerda loranthi Hodgson & Millar ), although McConnell does briefly describe those of Aclerda arundinariae McConnell , A. simplicis McConnell , Nipponaclerda biwakoensis Kuwana and R. combreticola .

Below are described the adult males of 6 further species of Aclerda . In addition, a figure of Lecanaclerda macropoda Hodgson & Millar is included ( Fig. 84 View FIGURE 84 ). This is followed by a brief review of the Rhodesaclerdinae.

Key to subfamilies and genera of Aclerdidae View in CoL View at ENA based on adult male morphology

1. Antennae 1 or 10 segmented. Sclerotised ridges absent from around dorsal simple eyes. Abdomen with hs setae only. Claws without a denticle … Aclerdinae Cockerell................................................................. 2

- Antennae 7 or 8 segmented. Sclerotised ridges present around dorsal simple eyes. Abdomen with both hs and fs setae. Claws with a denticle … Rhodesaclerdinae Hodgson & Millar....................................................... 4

2. Adult male apterous. Legs extremely reduced to 4 ring-like segments. Penial sheath very short, only slightly longer than broad.................................................................. Nipponaclerda McConnell View in CoL ( Fig. 85 View FIGURE 85 )

- Adult male alate. Legs normally developed with 5 long segments. Penial sheath several times longer than basal width..... 3

3. Caudal extension on abdominal segment VIII well developed. Pleural setae absent from abdominal segment VIII. Penial sheath not articulating with abdominal segment VIII.............................. Lecanaclerda Hodgson & Millar View in CoL ( Fig. 84 View FIGURE 84 )

- Caudal extension on abdominal segment VIII at most a gentle curve. Pleural setae present on abdominal segment VIII. Penial sheath clearly articulating with abdominal segment VIII.......................................... Aclerda Signoret View in CoL

4. Antennae 7 segmented. Lateropleurite broad. Membranous area on scutum quadrate.... Rhodesaclerda McConnell View in CoL ( Fig. 86 View FIGURE 86 ) - Antennae 8 segmented. Lateropleurite narrow. Membranous area on scutum triangular... Kwazulaclerda Hodgson & Millar