Ovaticoccus agavacearum, Pellizzari, Giuseppina & Kozár, Ferenc, 2011

Pellizzari, Giuseppina & Kozár, Ferenc, 2011, A new species of Greenisca and two new species of Ovaticoccus from Italy (Hemiptera Coccoidea Eriococcidae), with a key to European genera of Eriococcidae., Zootaxa 3090, pp. 57-68 : 63-65

Ovaticoccus agavacearum sp. n.

(fig. 3)

Type data. Holotype: adult female, Italy, Valenzano, (Bari district), 19.v.2008, off potted Yucca sp., growing indoors, collected by G. Pellizzari, slide n. 1498/ 1 in Pellizzari collection. Paratypes: 23 adult females on 9 slides n.1498/2–11; 1st instar nymphs, 2nd instar nymphs male and female, on slides1498/12-19, same data as holotype. Holotype and most paratypes deposited in DEAE, 2 paratypes slides with seven adult females deposited in PPI.

Unmounted adult female. Body oval; cuticle membranous.

Mounted female. Body of slide-mounted specimens, oval, 2 (1.76–2.1) mm long, 1.6 (1.4–1.6) mm wide.

Venter. Antennae 7 segmented, segment lengths (in µm) I: 28 (26–36), II: 26 (26–33), III: 26 (26–30), IV: 23 (23– 40), V: 23 (21–26), VI: 20 (20–23), VII: 31 (29–32); all segments with few setae, each about 17 µm long; segment II with 1 sensory pore, segment VII with apical seta 45 µm long, and with 3 sensory falcate setae, each 18 µm long, segments V and VI with single falcate seta, 11 and 18 µm long respectively, plus two 4 µm long coeloconic sensilla on apical segment. Preantennal pore present. Eyes present on margin. Labium 3-segmented, 67 (67–72) µm long, basal segment not well developed, with two pairs of setae; total number of setae 9 pairs; apical median setae half length of longest lateral setae. Stylet loop reaching line behind middle legs. Legs well developed (lengths µm), forecoxae 26 (26–30), trochanter 22 (22–32) femur 65 (65–68), tibia 50 (48–56) tarsus 55 (55–61), claw 21; midcoxae 32 (26–35), trochanter 27 (26–30), femur 68 (62–72), tibia 50 (49–56), tarsus 57 (52–58), claw 21; hindcoxae 30 (28–36), trochanter 28 (28–32), femur 72 (70–75), tibia 56 (52–60), tarsus 65 (59–65), tarsal digitules knobbed, 33–36, claw 23, claw digitules 24–26, knobbed. Coxae with spinulae on anterior (ventral) surfaces; hindcoxae with translucent pores and spinulae on posterior (dorsal) surface. Each trochanter with 2 sensory pores on each surface. Claws with a denticle. All legs with a few flagellate setae and with a sensory pore at base of each tarsus. Spiracles 22 µm in diameter, with a group of quinquelocular pores in a sclerotized depression near spiracular opening. Quinquelocular pores sometimes with 3 or 7 loculi, each 6 µm in diameter, scattered in medium numbers on most of surface. Short slender setae, each 9–16 µm long, scattered on abdomen. Some longer flagellate setae present on head, mid abdomen and thorax. Cruciform pores, each 5 µm long, present in rows on posterior abdominal segments, absent on mid-thorax; with some scattered on submargin of posterior abdominal segments. Macrotubular ducts absent. Microtubular ducts present on margin. Oviduct or internal genital organ barely discernible.

Dorsum. Dorsal setae dome shaped, of one size, each 6–7 µm long, some present on margin of last abdominal segments and on head and thorax, usually with a total of 2–9 on whole of dorsum (one specimen with 14). Small hair-like setae, each 5–8 µm long, scattered on abdominal segments. Macrotubular ducts scattered all over dorsum, each 12 µm long and 3 µm wide. Microtubular ducts short, sclerotized, each about 4 µm long, with oval orifice, scattered around margin. Quinquelocular pores as on venter, few, scattered on all segments. Anal ring on venter, weakly developed, sclerotized, 35 (33–36) µm wide, 20 (20–24) µm long, without pores, but with 6 setae, each 16 µm long, two of them stronger. Anal lobes not developed, unsclerotized, with 2 spine-like setae. Apical setae each 86 µm long. Cauda absent.

Mounted first instar nymph (fig.3, top left). Body of slide-mounted specimens oval, 540–550 µm long, 225– 235 µm wide. Antennae six segmented, apical three segments with strong sensory setae as on adult female. Dorsum with dome-shaped spines of three sizes, largest on posterior abdominal segments. Usually with six spinose setae on each segment. Tubular ducts absent. Venter with transverse rows of six small hair-like setae on each abdominal segment; median setae longer than others. Cruciform pores present on posterior 3 or 4 abdominal segments, usually with one pore on each side of segments. With 1 pair of quinquelocular pores on each thoracic segment, 1 near each spiracle, plus 1 pair on frons. Stylet loop reaching the 3rd abdominal segment, stylet length 840–860 µm. Anal ring with three sclerotized plates and with 6 spine-like setae.

Ethymology. The species name agavacearum means “of the Agavaceae ” after the family of the host plant on which this species was collected.

Affinities. Adult female O. agavacearum are similar to those of O. agavium , but have macrotubular ducts also on head and thorax (only on the abdomen in O. agavium ) and few cruciform pores, these restricted to the abdominal segments (numerous, and also on thorax in O. agavium ). Moreover, the dome-shaped spines are very few and of one size (numerous, and of different size on O. agavium ). The first-instar nymph of O. agavacearum is similar to that of O. agavium but the latter sometimes has two cruciform pores on each side of the last abdominal segments, the anal ring has only two sclerotized lateral plates and the setae are hair-like.