Atrococcus halli (McKenzie and Williams, 1965)

Evans, Gregory A. & Abd-Rabou, Shaaban, 2023, The mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae) of Egypt, Insecta Mundi 2023 (999), pp. 1-83 : 14

Atrococcus halli (McKenzie and Williams, 1965)

( Figure 4 , after Ezzat 1962)

Taxonomy. Trionymus indecisus Hall 1923: 12 . Type data. EGYPT: Mansura and Giza, on Imperata cylindrica .

Spilococcus indecisus ( Hall, 1923) ; Ezzat 1962a: 61, change of combination. Chorizococcus halli McKenzie and Williams, 1965: 3 ; replacement name for Chorizococcus indecisus (Hall) due to hom-

onymy with Chorizococcus indecisus (Cockerell, 1901) . Spilococcus halli (McKenzie and Williams, 1965) ; Danzig 1998: 126. revived combination previously published by Tang

(1992) and later by Danzig (1998). Atrococcus halli (McKenzie and Williams, 1965) ; Danzig and Gavrilov-Zimin 2014: 253. change of combination.

Hosts in Egypt. Andropogon sp. , Cynodon dactylon , Imperata cylindrica , Phragmatis communis ( Hall 1926a) .

Distribution in Egypt. Mansuram Giza ( Hall 1923; 1926a).

Remarks. Hall (1923) stated that this species was found between the leaf sheath and the parent stem of Imperata cylindrica . This species only has 2 pair of cerarii on the posteriormost abdominal segments (A7, A8). Williams and Granara de Willink (1992) separated Chorizococcus from Spilococcus based on the number of cerarii; Chorizococcus has fewer than 6 pairs and Spilococcus has 6 or more pairs. Danzig and Gavrilov-Zimin (2015) placed it in the genus Atrococcus , which according to Kosztarab and Kozar (1988) also has 1−7 pairs of cerarii but lacks a circulus (except in A. bejjienkoi ) the latter is present or absent in Chorizococcus . There does not appear to be a clear morphological distinction between Chorizococcus and Atrococcus , however specimens of Atrococcus become black when placed in alcohol or KOH and Chorizococcus species presumably do not. This species is also similar to Vryburgia species in that it has 2 pairs of cerarii on the anal lobe (ac8) and penultimate segment (ac7) and oral rim ducts; however this species has a circulus which is absent in all known Vryburgia species. Based on what we know, it appears that this species is best placed in Atrococcus Goux, 1941 which has taxonomic priority of Chorizococcus McKenzie, 1960 .

Figures

Figure 4. Atrococcus halli (after Ezzat 1962a).