Crisicoccus ezzati, Tanaka & Kamitani, 2022

Tanaka, Hirotaka & Kamitani, Satoshi, 2022, Review ofthegenus CrisicoccusFerris (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) in Japan with description of a new species, and the identity of a South Korean mealybug misidentified as Crisicoccus matsumotoi (Shiraiwa 1935), Zootaxa 5209 (5), pp. 555-572 : 560-562

Crisicoccus ezzati sp. nov.

[Japanese common name: Nashi-kona-kaigaramushi]

Crisicoccus matsumotoi ( Shiraiwa 1935) ; Ezzat & McConnell 1956: 25; Williams 2004: 144 (misidentifications).

Material examined. Holototype, here designated: Pseudococcus / Crisicoccus / matsumotoi / (Shir.) / On Pears / Japan: at Seattle / Berryhill. Scott. Collr’s / Sept. 12. 1940 / Seattle 9045. 1 adult female mounted singly on a slide ( USNM).

Description based on the holotype only.

Appearance in life. Not seen.

Slide-mounted adult female ( Fig. 3 ). Body elongate oval, 2.0 mm long and 1.0 mm wide; derm membranous; segmentation recognizable, but not well developed. Anal lobes well developed, ventral surface with rather faint anal lobe bar and a long apical seta, 226–254 µm long. Antenna 399–410 µm long, with 8 segments and many flagellate setae; subapical segment with 1 fleshy seta and apical segment with 3 fleshy setae. Eyespot present on margin, not associated with discoidal pores. Legs well developed, with many flagellate setae; hind leg measurements (in µm): trochanter + femur 304–307 long; hind tibia + tarsus 304–312; claw 34–35, without a denticle. Ratio of lengths of hind tibia + tarsus to trochanter + femur about 1: 0.99–1.03; ratio of lengths of hind tibia to tarsus 1: 2.12–2.23. Paired setose tarsal digitules present, subequal in length to the minutely knobbed claw digitules. Hind coxa with translucent pores on both surfaces; hind tibia with translucent pores on posterior surface; hind trochanter, femur and tarsus without translucent pores. Labium 218 µm long, shorter than clypeolabral shield. Circulus usually quadrate, located between abdominal segments III and IV, 76 µm long and 109 µm wide. Ostioles present, each with inner edges of lips weakly sclerotized; anterior ostioles each with a total for both lips of 23 trilocular pores and 2 setae; each posterior ostiole with a total for both lips of 25–28 trilocular pores and 3–5 setae. Anal ring 95 µm wide, bearing 6 setae, each seta 108–138 µm long. Cerarii numbering 15–16 pairs. Anal lobe cerarii (C 18) usually each containing 2 conical cerarian setae, each seta 20–22 µm long and about 5–6 µm wide at base, 6–7 auxiliary setae and a concentration of trilocular pores. Penultimate cerarii (C 17) each containing 2 conical setae and a few auxiliary setae and trilocular pores. Cerarii situated further forward generally each with 2–4 conical setae, usually with flagellate tips, and trilocular pores.

Dorsum. Setae flagellate, each 14–48 µm long, distributed segmentally; longest setae present on head. Trilocular pores each 3–4 µm wide, evenly distributed. Oral rim tubular ducts and oral collar tubular ducts absent. Discoidal pores each about 2 µm wide, sparsely distributed.

Venter. Setae relatively long and flagellate, each 18–89 µm long; setae on medial area of posterior abdominal segments longest. Multilocular disc pores, each 6–8 µm wide, present in medial areas of abdominal segments IV‒IX, arranged in 1 (or rarely 2) rows on each posterior area of abdominal segments IV–VII but arranged randomly on abdominal segments VIII and IX. Trilocular pores, each same size as those on dorsum, evenly distributed. Oral collar tubular ducts all of 1 size, each narrower than a trilocular pore, about 2–3 µm wide, present on medial areas of abdominal segments IV–VII and submarginal to marginal areas of abdominal segments II–VIII, usually forming transverse bands across segments; additionally, a few ducts present on submarginal to marginal areas of thoracic segments. Discoidal pores, same size as those on dorsum, sparsely present.

Host plant in Japan. Rosaceae : Pyrus pyrifolia var. culta .

Remarks. Crisicoccus ezzati sp. nov. was first reported as C. matsumotoi by Ezzat & McConnell (1956), based on specimens from Japan intercepted at a US plant quarantine station and three specimens collected in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. Some specimens collected later from India and Philippines were reported by Williams (2004). In this study, we examined a specimen identified by Ezzat & McConnell (1956) and found that the species is quite different from that currently considered to be C. matumotoi (= Crisicoccus seruratus ) in Japan. Crisicoccus ezzati has (contrasting characteristics of C. seruratus are stated in parentheses): (i) cerarii numbering 15–16 pairs (no more than eight pairs of cerarii); and (ii) only one size of oral collar tubular ducts on the venter (two sizes of oral collar tubular ducts on the venter). Judging the validity of this species being labelled “ C. matsumotoi ” is difficult because the type specimens for C. matsumotoi are lost (García Morales et al. 2016). However, in this study, we followed Dr Shozo Kawai, Professor Emeritus of Tokyo University of Agriculture, who studied Japanese mealybugs taxonomically for a long time and treated the species currently recognized as C. matsumotoi in Japan as the true C. matsumotoi (= C. seruratus ). Therefore, the species described by Ezzat & McConnell (1956) and Williams (2004) lacks a valid name and is here described as a new species.

Crisicoccus ezzati bears some similarities to C. orchidiradicis ( Takahashi 1951) from Malaysia in having a large number of cerarii (≥ 15 pairs) and anterior cerarii with relatively narrow, elongated cerarian setae. However, it differs by the following morphological characteristics (contrasting characteristics of C. orchidiradicis are given in parentheses): (i) 15–16 pairs of cerarii (17 pairs); (ii) translucent pores present on hind coxae (without translucent pores on hind coxae), and (iii) anterior cerarii lacking auxiliary setae (all cerarii containing auxiliary setae).

Etymology. The new species is named after Dr Yehia Mahmoud Ezzat, who was one of the first to report on it.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Crisicoccus ezzati sp. nov., holotype. ALC, anal lobe cerarius; ANT, antenna; DP, discoidal pore; LG, hind tibia, tarsus and claw; MP, multilocular disc pores; OCD, oral collar tubular duct; PLC, penultimate cerarius (C17); TP, trilocular pore. Scale bars: 200 µm for ANT and LG; 50 µm for ALC and PLC; 10 µm for others.