Misericoccus imperatae ( Hall, 1923 )

Evans, Gregory A. & Abd-Rabou, Shaaban, 2023, The mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae) of Egypt, Insecta Mundi 2023 (999), pp. 1-83 : 20

Misericoccus imperatae ( Hall, 1923)

( Figure 52B , after Hall 1923)

Taxonomy. Ripersia imperatae Hall 1923: 8 . Type data. EGYPT: Heliopolis, on Imperata cylindrica .

Misericoccus imperatae ( Hall, 1923) ; Ezzat 1961: 68, change of combination.

Hosts in Egypt. Imperata cylindrica ( Hall 1923) , Polypogon sp. ( Hall 1923).

Distribution in Egypt. Heliopolis ( Hall, 1923).

Remarks. This species is known from Corsica, France, Iraq and Israel; it is only known to feed on grasses.

Misericoccus salsolicola ( Priesner and Hosny, 1935) , new combination ( Figure 52A , after Priesner and Hosny 1935)

Taxonomy. Ripersia salsolicola Priesner and Hosny 1935: 114 . Type data. EGYPT: North of Mersa Halaib at the Red Sea Coast, on Salsola foetida .

Octococcus salsolicola (Priesner and Hosny) ; Ezzat 1962d: 163, change of combination.

Host. Salsola imbricata ( Priesner and Hosny 1935) .

Distribution. Egypt ( Priesner and Hosny 1935).

Remarks. Priesner and Hosny (1935) provided the following details of the species: antennae 7-segmented; tarsal claw with a denticle; translucent pores conspicuous on hind tibiae; anal ring feebly developed with 3 pairs of short setae (35μm); 3−4 pairs of cerarii, each with 2 stout spines; discoidal pores (probably refers to multilocular pores) in a sparse transverse series across the venter; micropores (probably refers to trilocular pores) absent even on anal lobes; and no translucent circular area (circulus) on the abdomen. Ezzat (1962d) stated that “a thorough search proved that no material of this species exists in the Coccid Collection of the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture. Dr. Williams kindly examined a single transparent specimen of this species in the British Museum and replied that it has some relation to the genus Octococcus Hall. Since salsolicola lacks general features of Ripersia as now understood and since no material, Williams’ opinion is here accepted and this species is transferred to Octococcus ”. Miller and Giliomee (2016) considered this species to be a nomen dubium stating that “based on the original description and illustration it appears that the dorsal setae are either not enlarged or only slightly enlarged, the setae on the hind legs are all approximately of the same thickness, there are no translucent pores on the hind coxa, and the antennae are 7-segmented with only a slight indication of a division of the distal segment. There apparently are no trilocular pores and there is no indication that there are oral rim tubular ducts. The wax covering is said to be very thin and it occurs on a non-asteraceous host in North Africa. All of these character states are inconsistent with species of Octococcus . We are here treating this species as a nomen dubium since the original type series has been lost or destroyed and the description is insufficient to place it”. Although the specimens from which Priesner and Hosny used to describe the species are apparently lost, the authors provided a description and illustrations of the species that indicate that the species may belong to the genus Misericoccus based on the denticle on the claw, apparent lack of trilocular pores, 6-segmented antennae and flagellate dorsal setae. This species is similar to Fonscolombia artemisiae (Hall) which was found on the same host plant in Egypt and has a claw denticle; however the latter species has trilocular pores.

Figures

Figure 52. Pseudococcidae spp. A) Misericoccus salsolilcola (after Priesner and Hosny 1935). B) Misericoccus imperatae (after Hall 1923). C) Antonina panici (after Hall 1925). D) Phenacoccus gypsophilae (after Hall 1927c).