Peliococcus marrubii (Kiritshenko)

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 : 80-82

Peliococcus marrubii (Kiritshenko)

( Fig. 32 , distribution map Fig. 68 G )

Acanthococcus marrubii Kiritshenko, 1936: 156 . Phenacoccus multispinosus Borchsenius, 1937: 55 . Phenacoccus salviacus Moghaddam in Moghaddam & Alikhani, 2010: 16‒17, syn. n.

Field characteristics: Live adult female oval, up to 5 mm long, yellow ( Danzig & Gavrilov-Zimin 2014).

Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted adult female oval. Antennae each with 9 segments. Anal lobes moderately developed. Legs well developed; hind leg without translucent pores; claw with a denticle; tarsal digitules acute and shorter than claw. Cerarii numbering 12‒14 pairs; anal lobe cerarii each containing 2 enlarged lanceolate setae, 2 small setae and 4–6 trilocular pores, all situated on a weakly sclerotized area. Anterior cerarii each with 2 small setae and 1 or 2 trilocular pores. Median dorsal cerarius on abdominal segment VII with 2 setae and 2 trilocular pores at base. Circulus present, divided by an intersegmental line. Ostioles well developed.

Dorsum with slightly lanceolate setae; some setae each with 1 trilocular pore at base and situated on an elevation. Posterior edge of abdominal segment VII with a few multilocular disc pores. Trilocular pores and minute discoidal pores scattered throughout. Quinquelocular pores absent. Dorsal oral collar tubular ducts of 1 size, present across head, thorax and abdominal segments I–VII.

Venter mostly with normal flagellate setae, but margin with lanceolate setae. Multilocular disc pores each with 10 loculi, present on posterior edges of abdominal segments IV–VI, on posterior and anterior edges of segment VII, and posterior to vulva, but absent from margins. Quinquelocular pores present on midline of head, thorax and segments I–VI. Trilocular pores and minute discoidal pores scattered throughout. Oral collar ducts of 1 size present on margins of meso- and metathorax, and across all abdominal segments.

Distribution: Peliococcus marrubii is known from 9 countries in the Palaearctic Region including Iran, where it has been found in Markazi province ( Moghaddam & Alikhani 2010).

Host-plants: The species has been recorded on host-plants in eight genera belonging to five families: Amaranthaceae , Asteraceae , Euphorbiaceae , Lamiaceae and Poacae. In Iran it has been found on Descuriana sophia (Brassicaceae) and Achillea ambigua (Asteraceae)

Economic importance: None.

Natural enemies: None recorded.

Comments: In this study, Phenacoccus salviacus Moghaddam is synonymised with Peliococcus marrubii (Kiritshenko) , syn. n. Characteristics shared between the Iranian specimens and those described by Danzig (2001) are: (i) cerarii each with 2 lanceolate setae set close together on cuticular prominences, the seta bases closely associated with trilocular pores; (ii) dorsal oral collar tubular ducts are all of 1 size; (iii) dorsal and ventral clusters of multilocular pores and tubular ducts are completely absent; (iv) cerarii C 1 ‒C 17 each contain only 1 trilocular pore; and (v) multilocular disc pores present only on posterior abdominal segments. However, the Iranian specimens differ from Danzig’s (2001) material of P. marrubii as follows (characteristics of the latter specimens are given in brackets): (i) dorsal oral collar tubular ducts form single rows ( form double rows on each segment), and (ii) ventral oral collar tubular ducts do not form groups on margins (groups present on margins).

Peliococcus marrubii is recorded here for the first time from Iran.

The accompanying illustration of P. marrubii is reproduced from Moghaddam (2013a), page 59, Fig. 32 (as Phenacoccus salviacus ), with kind permission from the Chief Editor of Zootaxa.

Figures

FIGURE 32. Adult female of Peliococcus marrubii (Kiritshenko). © Magnolia Press, www.mapress.com/j/zt, reproduced with the copyright holder’s permission.

FIGURE 68. Maps of species distributions in Iran. A. Mirococcus inermis (Hall); B. Nipaecoccus viridis (Newstead); C. Paracoccus burnerae (Brain); D. Paracoccus ficus Moghaddam; E. Peliococcopsis priesneri (Laing); F. Peliococcus chersonensis (Kiritshenko); G. Peliococcus marrubii (Kiritshenko); H. Peliococcus turanicus (Kiritshenko); I. Pelionella grassiana (Goux); J. Phenacoccus aceris (Signoret); K. Phenacoccus arthrophyti Archangelskaya; L. Phenacoccus betae Moghaddam.