Coccus celatus (coffee green scale).

The female lays eggs which hatch within a matter of hours. There are three nymphal stages which are mobile. The adult female is sedentary and covered by an ovoid, green scale, about 3.5 mm long and only slightly convex. All stages feed principally on the underside of the leaf generally close to a vein but may also be found on green shoots, fruits and other parts of the plant. In Uganda it was reported (as C. consimilis) to be found on the collar of the plant at or just below ground level (De Lotto, 1960). Associations: Ants such as Tetramorium aculeatum (Uganda; De Lotto, 1960) and Solenopsis geminata (Papua New Guinea; Buckley and Gullan, 1991) which feed on the honeydew, build earth covers over the colonies. Oecophylla longinoda (Ivory Coast; Couturier et al., 1985), Crematogaster sp. (Papua New Guinea; Murphy, 1985), Paratrechina sp. (Papua New Guinea; Murphy, 1985), Pheidole sp. (Papua New Guinea; Murphy, 1985) and Technomyrmex albipes (Papua New Guinea; Murphy, 1985) also tend colonies. The presence of ants undoubtedly hinders attacks by natural enemies both by shielding the colonies and by removing honeydew. Murphy et al. (2011) attest that in Papua New Guinea 14 species of ant attend C. celatus/C. viridis populations of which only two are native (Rhoptromyrmex sp1 and Rhoptromyrmex melleus). By contrast six exotics and six species (origin unknown) attend the scales. The three spatially most common and abundant exotic species were Anoplolepis gracilipes (yellow crazy ant), Pheidole megacephala (African big-headed ant) and T. albipes (white footed ant).

Coccus celatus. [Distribution map].

A new distribution map is provided for Coccus celatus De Lotto (= C. consimilis De Lotto) Hemiptera: Coccidae. Attacks coffee, groundnuts, Citrus, Eugenia javanica, cloves (Syzigium aromaticum) Information is given on the geographical distribution in AFRICA, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, ASIA, Brunei, Indonesia, Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand, AUSTRALASIA, and PACIFIC ISLANDS, Irian Jaya, Papua New Guinea.

The distribution and synonymy of Coccus Celatus De Lotto (Hemiptera: Coccidae) and its importance on coffee in Papua New Guinea

Coccus celatus De Lotto is now established on coffee in Papua New Guinea where it is causing some concern. As a result of studying extensive collections of this species from the Sudan and Papua New Guinea, it is now possible to synonymise the name C. consimilis De Lotto with C. celatus. An account of the distribution and host range is given.