Spilococcus alhagii (Hall)

Williams, D. J. & Moghaddam, M., 2007, A new species of Rhodania Goux (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Pseudococcidae) and new records of two other mealybug species from Iran, Zootaxa 1398 (1), pp. 37-44 : 40-43

Spilococcus alhagii (Hall)

( Fig. 2 )

Pseudococcus alhagii Hall, 1926: 7 ; 1927: 133. Lectotype adult ♀, Egypt, Masara, on roots of Alhagi maurorum , here designated (BMNH).

Spilococcus alhagii (Hall) , Ezzat, 1960: 43; Ben­Dov, 1980: 269; 1994: 483; Matile­Ferrero, 1988: 28.

Description

Adult female on microscope slide narrowly to broadly oval, membranous, 1.60–3.15 mm long, 0.80–2.50 mm wide. Anal lobes moderately developed, each ventral surface with an apical seta 125–225 µm long. Antennae 420–600 µm long, slender, 8­segmented. Legs well developed, hind coxa 90–130 µm long, hind trochanter + femur 310–420 µm long, hind tibia + tarsus 340–450 µm long. Claw well developed, 28–40 µm long, with a single minute denticle; claw digitules knobbed, longer than claw. Ratio of lengths of hind tibia + tarsus to hind trochanter + femur 1.06–1.34. Ratio of lengths of hind tibia to hind tarsus 2.27–3.50. Hind tibia with a series of unusually large translucent pores on posterior surface only, each pore cup­shaped with a sclerotized rim. Distal trochanteral seta 30–115 µm long. Circulus present, 85­180 µm wide, divided by intersegmental line. Anal ring situated at apex of abdomen, cellular, 80–105 µm in diameter, with 6 setae each 100– 165 µm long. Ostioles well developed, each lip with a few setae and with few to many trilocular pores. Cerarii numbering at most 15 or 16 pairs. Anal lobe cerarii each with a pair of conical setae about 25.0 µm long, 7.5 µm wide at base, accompanied by about 5 auxiliary setae and a loose cluster of trilocular pores. Anterior cerarii on abdomen, each with paired conical setae much more slender and shorter than anal lobe cerarian setae, and with 4 or 5 trilocular pores. C 1 and C 3 on head usually discernible, each with slender paired setae similar to normal dorsal setae; sometimes cerarii difficult to locate.

Dorsal surface with short, slender setae 15–40 µm long, arranged mainly across middle of segments, sometimes fairly remote from intersegmental lines. Multilocular disc pores absent. Trilocular pores varying in frequency from noticeably abundant, covering most of segmental areas as far as intersegmental lines, to much less abundant covering segmental areas mainly occupied by setae. Oral rim tubular ducts present, each about 12.5 µm long, with each duct about 6.0 µm wide and rim about 7.5 µm in diameter mainly distributed in rows across middle of segments, varying considerably in numbers (see comments).

Ventral surface with similar setae to those on dorsum but most a little longer. Trilocular pores evenly distributed, varying in abundance. Multilocular disc pores, each about 7.5 µm in diameter, present on abdomen only in medial areas, sometimes as far forward as abdominal segment IV or only as far as segment VI, mainly on posterior edges of segments but a few present near anterior edges of posterior segments; total numbers varying from 40–146. Oral collar tubular ducts, each slightly narrower than a trilocular pore and about as long as width of a multilocular disc pore, present across middle of most abdominal segments to margins; a few also present around margins of head and thorax and occasionally one or two situated medially on thorax. Oral rim tubular ducts as on dorsum but sometimes absent or with a few only present on thoracic margins.

Material examined

The lectotype designated, to fix and stabilise the present concept of the name, is an adult ♀ on a slide labelled with diamond pencil, “ Pseudococcus alhagii , Egypt, Masara, Alhagi maurorum [ Papilionaceae ] (subterranean), WJH, 26.ii.1926, paper label, Type, W.J. HALL, 15/5/26, BM. 1926.402”. There are 4 other adult ♀♀ on 2 slides, similarly labelled except marked “Cotypes”, and 1 adult ♀, labelled “Heliopolis, on?, 18.4.26, WJH, Cotype”, all here designated paralectotypes (BMNH). The following material has also been studied: Egypt, Wadi El Tih [Teeh], on Zygophyllum coccineum (Zygophyllaceae) , 5.iv.1933 (H. Priesner). Iran, Khuzestan, on Ziziphus sp. (Rhamnaceae) , 4.vii.1990 (Gh. Asadeh) (BMNH, PPDRI); locality unknown, intercepted at South Korea, Inchon, 1.xii.2004, on Punica granatum (Lythraceae) (USNM). Saudi Arabia, Wadi Dawasir, on Suaeda fruticosa (Chenopodiaceae) , 20.x.1983 (A.S. Talhouk) (MNHN).

Comments

There is considerable variation in the abundance of pores and ducts in this species and at first sight it could be argued that there are two species in the material examined, namely that from Egypt and that from Iran and Saudi Arabia. Specimens from Egypt, including the syntypes illustrated by Ezzat (1960) (actually illustrated by G.F. Ferris) show an abundant cover of trilocular pores and the multilocular disc pores on the venter that reach as far forward as abdominal segment II. Specimens from Iran and Saudi Arabia, however, have noticeably fewer trilocular pores and the multilocular disc pores only reach as far forward as abdominal segment VI. The numbers of oral rim tubular ducts also vary within localities. The illustration in Ezzat (1960) represents the original material from Egypt and is fairly exact. Ben­Dov (1980) has also recorded S. alhagii from Sinai, Nabek, on the roots of Nitraria retusa (Zygophyllaceae) . When Matile­Ferrero (1988) discussed S. alhagii from Saudi Arabia (including specimens collected at Wadi Bani Malek, on Cissus rotundifolia (Vittaceae)), she commented that the numbers of dorsal oral rim tubular ducts ranged from 36–47 and quoted confirmation from Yair Ben­Dov that the numbers of these ducts on specimens from the Middle East (presumably Sinai) ranged from 37–135. The observations by Yair Ben­Dov were on 4 specimens, C­438, Egypt, Sinai, Nabek, on Nitaria retusa . [personal communication]. Specimens from Iran are most similar to specimens from Saudi Arabia and we conclude that all the specimens examined represent one species but with variable numbers of pores and ducts. The most striking diagnostic character of this species is the series of large translucent pores on the hind tibia, each pore slightly cup­shaped, with a conspicuous sclerotized rim.

It should be noted that, although the species has been intercepted in South Korea on pomegranate ( Punica granatum ) from Iran, it has not been found yet in the Punica areas of Iran. The species was listed previously from Iran as Spilococcus sp. near alhagii (Hall) by Kozár et al. (1996), presumably from specimens originally identified and collected on Ziziphus sp.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Spilococcus alhagii (Hall). Adult female.