Ezzatacoccus Evans and Abd-Rabou, 2023

Evans, Gregory A. & Abd-Rabou, Shaaban, 2023, The mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae) of Egypt, Insecta Mundi 2023 (999), pp. 1-83 : 16-17

Ezzatacoccus Evans and Abd-Rabou , new genus

( Figure 14 , after Ezzat 1960a)

Type species. Amonostherium arabicum Ezzat 1960a: 23 .

Diagnosis. Body of adult female broadly oval, membranous; cerarii present only on the anal lobes membranous, poorly developed with rounded posterior margin, each cerarius consisting of 2 conical-shaped setae, about 4 trilocular pores and a short spindle-shaped seta; antennae 6-segmented; legs relatively short and slender, translucent pores present on the hind tibiae, claws with a small denticle; circulus absent; dorsum with two well developed pairs of ostioles; anal ring situated a short distance from the apex of the abdomen, bearing 3 pairs of relatively short setae, about as long as the anal ring; cisanal and obanal setae short, each about 15 um long; dorsal setae short, spindle-shaped, as in Phenacoccus species; ventral setae on lateral and sublateral margin similar to dorsal setae, medial setae of venter long and flagellate; multilocular pores scattered sparsely on both the dorsum and venter of the cephalothorax and abdomen; oral collar tubular ducts sparsely distributed on dorsum and venter each sclerotized with the anterior end slightly more bulbous.

Comments. Ezzat (1960a) assigned this species in the genus Amonostherium stating that “this species could be easily distinguished from any other species in the genus Amonostherium by having six-jointed antennae and two pairs of prominent ostioles”. He noted that “the inclusion of the species in the genus requires some extension in the limits of the genus concerning the presence or absence of ostioles and the number of antennal joints”. Species of Amonostherium are similar to Ezzatacoccus arabicus in that they have cerarii present on the anal lobes only, lack a circulus and have a claw denticle, but differ in that they have 7−8 segmented antennae, have either no ostioles or one pair of poorly developed ones on the abdomen, the dorsal setae flagellate, except for a few scattered spindle-shaped setae located medially, ventral setae similar in form and length, legs short and stout, multilocular pores present only on the venter and the oral collar tubular ducts of 2 sizes, one size more slender than the other but both are parallel sided. Ezzatacoccus has 6-segmented antennae, 2 pairs of prominent ostioles, the dorsal setae short and spindle-shaped (as in other Phenacoccinae ), ventral setae of 2 kinds with those along the submargin and margin short and spindle-shaped similar to the dorsal setae and those located medially long and flagellate, legs short but slender, multilocular pores present on the venter and dorsum, oral collar tubular ducts of 1 size, one size being more bulbous, one size more slender than the other but both are parallel sided.

Ezzatacoccus is also similar to Mirococcus Borchsenius, 1947 which has the posterior margin rounded, two pairs of prominent ostioles, a claw denticle, multilocular pores on both the venter and dorsum, but differs in that it has 7−9 segmented antennae, lacks cerarii, quinquelocular pores sometimes present and has short flagellate dorsal setae.

Danzig and Gavrilov-Zimin (2014) transferred Amonostherium arabicum to the genus Phenacoccus Cockerell, 1893 stating that the species “is not related in our mind with the type (American) species of the genus Amonostherium , A. lichtensioides (Cockerell, 1897) , but can be covered by the diagnosis of Phenacoccus accepted here”. Ezzatacoccus arabicus is similar to most Phenacoccus species in that it has short spindle-shaped dorsal setae and a claw denticle, but differs primarily by having 6-segmented antennae, cerarii present on the anal lobes only, and the posterior margin rounded whereas most species of Phenacoccus have 18 pairs of cerarii, but rarely fewer than 10 pairs; the anal lobes protruding so that the posterior margin is not rounded, and 9 segmented antennae (rarely 8 or fewer). Since Amonostherium arabicum Ezzat, 1960a has a unique combination of characters that do not clearly fit in any of these genera without greatly expanding the concept of the genus, we hereby erect a new genus.

Etymology. Ezzatacoccus is named in honor of Yehia M. Ezzat for his numerous works on the scale insects of Egypt and the discovery of the type species; gender masculine.

Figures

Figure 14. Ezzatacoccus arabicus (after Ezzat 1960a).