Chorizococcus mirzayansi Moghaddam

Moghaddam, Masumeh, 2010, Two new species and a new record of mealybugs (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Pseudococcidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 2619, pp. 63-68 : 64-65

Chorizococcus mirzayansi Moghaddam sp. n.

( Fig. 1)

Described from 3 specimens in good condition. Habit. On the leaf surface.

Description. Appearance in life not recorded. Body of mounted adult female oval, membranous, 2.8–2.9 mm long and 1.64–1.90 mm wide. Anal lobes poorly developed, each ventral surface bearing a stout apical seta about 135 µm long. Antennae each about 420 µm long, with 8 segments. Legs well developed, slender; hind trochanter + femur 270 µm long, hind tibia + tarsus 270–290 µm long; claw about 32 µm long, with a small denticle. Ratio of lengths of hind tibia + tarsus to hind trochanter + femur 1:1.00–1.03. Ratio of lengths of hind tibia to tarsus 1:2.00–2.41. Translucent pores large, present on posterior surface of hind coxae and hind tibia. Circulus absent. Posterior ostioles with inner edges of lips sclerotized, each lip bearing 2 or 3 setae and a few trilocular pores; anterior ostioles without sclerotized lips. Anal ring about 70 µm in diameter, with 2 rows of pores and 3 pairs of setae, each seta about 100 µm long. Cerarii numbering 8 pairs, situated on abdominal segments; each anal lobe cerarius with 2 small conical setae, each about 20 µm long, plus 3 or 4 auxiliary setae and a group of trilocular pores, all situated on a membranous area; cerarii on abdominal segment VII–VI each with 2 conical setae, these shorter, more slender and widely separated than anal lobe pair, with no auxiliary setae and scarcely any concentration of trilocular pores, and cerarii on abdominal segments I–III, each with 1 seta and 2 or 3 trilocular pores present.

Dorsal surface with short, conical setae, mostly each 15–25 µm long. Multilocular disc pores absent. Trilocular pores present, evenly distributed. Discoidal pores minute, scattered. Oral rim tubular ducts few, arranged in a single row of 2–6 ducts across each abdominal segment, except abdominal segment VIII, and scattered over thoracic segments and head. Oral collar ducts present in marginal groups on abdominal segments II–VIII.

Ventral surface with long flagellate setae medially and slender conical setae on margins. Multilocular disc pores, each about 6.2 µm in diameter, present posterior to vulva and in double rows across medial posterior edges of abdominal segments VI and VII, and in a single row on posterior edges of abdominal segments III– V; also along anterior edges of abdominal segments V–VII. A few multilocular disc pores also situated in submedial area of abdominal segment II. Trilocular pores evenly distributed. Oral rim tubular ducts same as those on dorsum, in small numbers along margin and across head, thoracic and abdominal segments. Oral collar tubular ducts occurring mainly in groups in lateral areas of abdominal segments III–VII and across segments III–VIII; also present in a small group lateral to each first coxa.

Material examined. HOLOTYPE, adult Ƥ, Iran, Tehran Province, Tehran, on Opuntia ficus –indica ( Cactaceae ), Leg. F. Parsi, 18.ii.2002 ( IRIPP).

PARATYPES, Iran. Same data as holotype, 2 adult Ƥ ( IRIPP).

Etymology. This species is named in honour of our Orthopterist colleague Hayk Mirzayans who passed away in 2000.

Comments. This species is very similar to Chorizococcus wilkeyi McKenzie but differs mainly in having oral collar tubular ducts laterally near each of the first coxae. The species C. wilkeyi is recorded only from the Nearctic region ( U.S. A, California) ( Ben-Dov, 1994).