THE SOFT SCALE (COCCIDAE) ASSOCIATES OF MALAYSIAN ANT-PLANTS

Myrmecophytic species of the Paleotropical plant genus Macaranga (Euph orbiaceae) have hollow stems that are almost always occupied by ants o f the genus Crematogaster and scale insects of the family Coccidae (He miptera: Coccoidea). The coccids have a cryptic endophytic lifestyle a nd are confined to this microhabitat. They are much more diverse than previously recognised. First data are presented on the diversity, prev alence, specificity and distribution of the coccids associated with my rmecophytic Macaranga species. Twenty-two species of Coccidae in total , including 15 previously unknown from Macaranga, were discovered from 19 species of Macaranga in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. The origin al describers tentatively assigned the known coccid species to Coccus (Coccinae) but the Macaranga coccids still require taxonomic research to establish their correct placing. The coccids varied in their host-p lant specificity from species that occurred in most of the sampled Mac aranga to one species that was found almost exclusively only on a sing le host species. In addition to their occurrence on Macaranga, only th ree species, C. macarangae and C. secretus and morphospecies C. 214 we re found on rare occasions in the stem interior of a few other myrmeco phytes and in a non-myrmecophytic liana, but did not regularly colonis e these plants. Most of the coccids can be regarded as highly specific at the plant genus level.