Rhodania aeluropi Williams & Moghaddam

Moghaddam, Masumeh, 2013, A review of the mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae, Putoidae and Rhizoecidae) of Iran, with descriptions of four new species and three new records for the Iranian fauna, Zootaxa 3632 (1), pp. 1-107 : 77-79

Rhodania aeluropi Williams & Moghaddam

( Fig. 43 )

Rhodania aeluropi Williams & Moghaddam, 2007: 38 . Holotype Ƥ, Khouzestan: Ahvaz, Amirabad (HMIM).

DIAGNOSIS. Body of adult mounted female rotund, membranous. Anal lobes membranous, barely perceptible, each with an apical seta. Antennae 6 segmented. Legs well developed, small for size of body. Claw long, without a denticle; claw digitules pointed, surpassing claw in length. Tarsal digitules shorter than claw digitules, pointed. Fairly large translucent pores present on anterior surface of hind coxa only. Anal ring narrowly rimmed, without cells, situated either at apex or up to a distance of about twice its length from apex of abdomen; with 6 short slender setae. Cerarii represented by a pair of long flagellate setae on each anal lobe only, plus a similar seta a short distance anteriorly. Circulus absent. Ostioles absent. Dorsal surfaces with short, flagellate setae, except some marginal setae, each 15–20 μm long, on posterior abdominal segments. Disc pores present, conspicuous, with a distinct quinquelocular centre and with about 10 outer loculi usually with indistinct walls; numerous, distributed mostly in rows across anterior and posterior edges of abdominal segments, becoming more scattered on head and thorax. Dorsal oral collar ducts with membranous collar occupying about one-third length of duct; inner end of duct heavily sclerotized; not numerous, most frequent on midline, usually on abdominal segments III–VI, and around margins, and with only a few present in submarginal and submedial areas. Ventral surface with setae similar to those on dorsum. Disc pores as on dorsum also with a similar distribution but frequent and more scattered on head and thorax. Ventral oral collar ducts as on dorsum, present around margins and with a few present across middle of posterior abdominal segments.

DISTRIBUTION. Palaearctic: Iran. In Iran, R. aeluropi occurs in Khouzestan.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Khouzestan: Ahvaz, Amirabad, 2 adult Ƥ, on Aeloropus sp. ( Poaceae ), 18.x.2005 (A. Narrehei).

COMMENTS. R. aeluropi was collected in sugarcane fields (Williams & Moghaddam, 2007). The accompanying illustration is reproduced from Williams & Moghaddam (2007).

Figures

FIGURE 43. Adult female Rhodania aeluropi Williams & Moghaddam