Dysmicoccus caspianensis, Moghaddam, 2018

Moghaddam, Masumeh, 2018, Three new mealybug species (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 4420 (2), pp. 180-188 : 181-183

Dysmicoccus caspianensis sp. n.

( Fig.1 )

Material examined. Holotype, adult female: IRAN, left label: 2719/ Qazvin province: Qazvin/ Rajaidasht/ 16.viii.2015 / Alt. 1386 m / N36˚26′19.5″/ E50˚16′06.1″; right label: Holotype/ Dysmicoccus caspiansensis sp. n. / on Poaceae / coll. M. Moghaddam (HMIM). Paratypes: IRAN, 6 adult females mounted singly on slides, each slide with same data on left label as holotype slide; right label: Paratype/ Dysmicoccus caspiansensis sp. n. (HMIM). Four adult females mounted singly on slides, each slide with left label: 2 720/ Qazvin province, Loshan/ 16.viii.2015 / Alt. 585 m / N36˚32′31.8″/ E49˚30′54.1″; right label: Dysmicoccus caspiansensis sp. n. / Paratype / on Poaceae /″/ coll. M. Moghaddam (HMIM).

Slide-mounted adult female ( Fig. 1 ). Body elongate oval, 2.04–2.17 mm long and 0.96–1.22 mm wide; anal lobes poorly developed, each with an apical seta 132–140 µm long; cisanal setae each about 48 µm long. Antennae each 8 segmented, 352–400 µm long. Circulus absent. Legs well developed, slender, measurements for posterior legs: trochanter + femur 244–252 µm long, tibia + tarsus 288–300 µm long. Ratio of lengths of tibia + tarsus to trochanter + femur 1.18–1.20:1; ratio of lengths of tibia to tarsus 2.5–2.7:1. Translucent pores present on anterior and posterior surfaces of hind femur and tibia. Claws moderately stout, each about 25 µm long, without denticle; claw digitules knobbed. Cerarii numbering 7 pairs, all situated on abdominal segments; anal lobe cerarii each with 2 enlarged conical setae, each about 18 µm long and 5.5 µm wide at base, 4 or 5 auxiliary setae of various lengths, and a group of trilocular pores, all situated on an indefinite sclerotized area. C17 and C16 each with 2 shorter conical setae, 2 or 3 auxiliary setae, and 5–8 trilocular pores; C12¯15 each without auxiliary setae, containing 2 long slender setae, same shape as dorsal setae, about 16 µm long, and 2 or 3 trilocular pores. Anterior and posterior ostioles well developed, with inner edges of lips sclerotized, each lip with a few trilocular pores, anterior ostioles each with 1 or 2 setae, posterior ostioles without setae. Anal ring situated at apex of abdomen, 52–62 µm long and 48–55 µm wide, with 2 rows of pores and bearing 6 setae, each 68–80 µm long.

Dorsum with long, slender flagellate setae, often of various lengths, many as long as 28 µm. Trilocular pores situated in a regular arrangement. Discoidal pores minute, scattered. Oral collar tubular ducts of 2 sizes: larger type each 5 or 6 µm long and about 3 µm wide; small type each about 3.5 µm long and about 1.5 µm wide; forming groups of 3, each group usually comprising 2 large outer ducts on either side of 1 small inner duct; groups distributed mainly across dorsal segments; single ducts of either size present also.

Venter with most setae similar to dorsal setae, but usually slightly longer. Multilocular pores each about 5 µm in diameter, present in more or less single rows at posterior edges of abdominal segments V–VII, not reaching to margins; also present posterior to vulva. Oral collar tubular duct groups same as on dorsum, present mainly around margins, median areas of thorax, and submedian areas of head and thorax. Trilocular pores evenly distributed. Discoidal pores same as those on dorsum, scattered.

Comments. Dysmicoccus caspianensis sp. n. is closest to D. triadus Williams , described by Williams (1987) from India and Pakistan, in possessing: (i) groups of ducts on the dorsum and the venter, (ii) ventral multilocular disc pores situated in the median areas of the posterior abdominal segments; but D. caspianensis differs as follows (character-states D. triadus in brackets): (i) cerarii numbering 7 pairs, all situated on abdominal segments (cerarii numbering 17 pairs); (ii) multilocular disc pores absent from dorsum (present), (iii) translucent pores present on hind femur and tibia (translucent pores present on the hind coxa as well as femur and tibia).

The new species is also close to D. jizani Matile-Ferrero , described by Matile-Ferrero (1984) from Saudi Arabia, in possessing: (i) groups of ducts on the dorsum and the venter, and (ii) in lacking dorsal multilocular disc pores; but differs as follows (character-states of D. jizani in brackets): (i) cerarii numbering 7 pairs situated on the abdominal segments (cerarii numbering 17 pairs); (ii) C12–15 without auxiliary setae (all cerarii with auxiliary setae); and (iii) circulus absent (circulus present); (iv) the ducts in groups of three, each comprising 2 large outer ducts on either side of 1 small inner duct (the third duct in group is larger than the other two).

Etymology. The species epithet is based on ‘Caspian’, the ancient name of Qazvin province where the specimens were collected, and the Latin suffix ‘ -ensis ’, denoting origin.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adult female of Dysmicoccus caspianensis Moghaddam sp. n.