Formicococcus robustus (Ezzat & McConnell)

MOGHADDAM, MASUMEH & WATSON, GILLIAN W., 2022, The Scale Insects Of Iran (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) Part 2 The Mealybugs (Pseudococcidae And Rhizoecidae) And Putoidae, Zootaxa 5126 (1), pp. 1-169 : 62-64

Formicococcus robustus (Ezzat & McConnell)

( Fig. 23 , distribution map Fig. 67 J )

Planococcoides robustus Ezzat & McConnell, 1956: 59 . Indococcus pipalae Ali, 1967: 35 . Dysmicoccus cucurbitae Avasthi & Shafee, 1986: 437 . Planococcoides bengalensis Ghosh & Ghose 1988: 604 . Ferrisicoccus psidii Mukhopadhyay & Ghose, 1994: 71 .

Field characteristics: Not recorded.

Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted adult female broadly oval, membranous. Anal lobe with anal lobe bar either partial (present forwards from bar seta) or complete. Antennae each with 8 segments. Legs well developed. Hind leg with translucent pores on ventral and dorsal surfaces of coxa and on dorsal surface of tibia; tarsal digitules pointed at tip and longer than claw. Cerarii numbering 18 pairs. Anal lobe cerarii each bearing 2–5 conical setae of different sizes, a group of trilocular pores and usually 1 or 2 auxiliary setae. Penultimate cerarii (C 17) each with as many as 8 conical setae. Cerarii on abdominal segments III–VI each with up to 8 conical setae, but usually more than 2. Circulus present, divided by an intersegmental line. Ostioles well developed.

Dorsum with long stiff setae, some on posterior abdominal segments longer than more anterior setae.Multilocular disc pores absent. Trilocular pores evenly distributed. Discoidal pores minute, scattered.

Venter with flagellate setae. Multilocular disc pores each with 10 loculi, present posterior to vulva, and in single-to-double rows in medial areas along posterior edges of segments V−VII. Trilocular pores evenly distributed. Discoidal pores minute, scattered. Oral collar tubular ducts present on venter only, of 2 sizes: larger type usually on margins of segments V – VII, and smaller type present medially across segments V – VII; also on margins of segments V – VIII, normally posterior to large-type ducts .

Distribution: Formicococcus robustus is known from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan in the Oriental Region and from Iran ( García Morales et al. 2016), where it has been recorded from Hormozgan province (Moghaddam 2004).

Host-plants: The species has been recorded on host-plants in 23 genera belonging to 16 families ( García Morales et al. 2016); in Iran, it has been recorded on Prosopis spicigera (Fabaceae) (Moghaddam 2004).

Economic importance: None.

Natural enemies: None recorded.

Comments: The accompanying illustration is reproduced from Moghaddam (2013a), page 29, Fig. 14 , with kind permission from the Chief Editor of Zootaxa.

Genus KIRITSHENKELLA Borchsenius

Kiritshenkella Borchsenius, 1948b:583 . Type species: Kiritshenkella stataria Borchsenius by original designation. Imperaticoccus Lit, 1992: 1165 .

Principal characters: Slide-mounted adult female elongate to elongate oval, membranous.Antennae each with 6 or 7 segments. Legs well developed, small for size of body; hind leg with translucent pores on coxa, pores extending anteriorly onto surrounding derm. Cerarii usually present on anal lobes only. Circulus present or absent. Ostioles represented by poorly developed posterior pair only. Multilocular disc pores abundant on dorsum and venter; on venter, most numerous around margins. Both dorsum and venter with trilocular pores present only in medial zone. Oral collar tubular ducts present, flange-shaped; ducts abundant across posterior segments of abdomen and around ventral margins, fewer or absent elsewhere on body. Anal ring with 2 or 3 (or more) rows of pores and 6 setae.

Comments: Worldwide, three species are included in Kiritshenkella ( García Morales et al. 2016) ; one species is known from Iran ( Kozár et al. 1996).

Figures

FIGURE 14. Adult female of Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell). © Magnolia Press, www.mapress.com/j/zt, reproduced with the copyright holder’s permission.

FIGURE 23. Adult female of Formicococcus robustus (Ezzat & McConnell). © Magnolia Press, www.mapress.com/j/zt, reproduced with the copyright holder’s permission.

FIGURE 67. Maps of species distributions in Iran.A. Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell); B. Dysmicoccus caspianensis Moghaddam; C. Dysmicoccus walkeri (Newstead); D. Dysmicoccus zagrosicus Moghaddam; E. Erimococcus kimmericus (Kiritshenko); F. Erimococcus talhouki (Matile-Ferrero); G. Eurycoccus tamariscus Williams; H. Exallomochlus balouchestanensis Moghaddam; I. Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell); J. Formicococcus robustus (Ezzat & McConnell); K. Kiritshenkella sacchari (Green); L. Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green).