Rhizococcus avicennae, Moghaddam, 2018

Moghaddam, Masumeh, 2018, Description of a new species of Rhizococcus (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Acanthococcidae) from Iran, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 58 (2), pp. 519-522 : 520-522

Rhizococcus avicennae sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 2 )

Type locality. Iran, Hamadan Province, Malayer County, Lashkardar Protected Area, Golparabad village, 36˚26 ′ 19.5 ″ N, 50˚16 ′ 06.1 ″ E, 1386 m a. s. l.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: adult ♀, IRAN, left label: ‘No. 2886 / 6.vii. 2017 / Hamadan province / Malayer, Lashkardar Protected area / Golparabad / Alt. 1386 m / N36˚26 ′ 19.5 ″ / E50˚16 ′ 06.1 ″ ’; right label: ‘Holotype / Rhizococcus avicennae sp. n. / Pl. Poaceae / M. Moghaddam coll.’ ( HMIM, slide-mounted). PARATYPES: 4 adult ♀♀, same data as holotype except for right label: ‘ Paratype / Rhizococcus avicennae sp. n. ’ (slide-mounted on 4 slides of which 3 in HMIM and 1 in NHGR).

Description. Adult female. Live (unmounted) specimens. Body pyriform, dark green; ovisac white, rounded, completely covering body ( Fig. 1 ).

Structure (mounted specimens) ( Fig. 2 ). Body elongate-oval, 2.27–2.50 mm long, 1.18–1.35 mm wide. Antennae 7-segmented, 233–256 μ m long; length of segments: I: 38–40, II: 30–32, III: 38–40, IV: 44–48, V: 22–30, VI: 22–24 and VII: 30–34 μ m; all segments except for III with a few strong, hair–like setae; apical segment with apical seta 32–38 μ m long, and one or two sensory falcate setae, about 22 μ m long; segments V and VI each with one sensory falcate seta. Frontal lobes and frontal tubercle absent. Eyes situated on ventral margin. Anal lobes strongly developed, each with three enlarged setae, each 44–46 μ m long, plus one or two microtubular ducts on dorsal surface; apical seta 152–200 μ m; ventral subapical seta 80–100 μ m long.

Venter. Labium 130–160 μ m long, 80–85 μ m wide. Legs well developed; length of segments and digitules of prothoracic legs: coxa 100–104 μ m, trochanter 48–60 μ m, femur 120–128 μ m, tibia 100–104 μ m, tarsus 112–114 μ m, claw 34–36 μ m and with a denticle, trochanter + femur: 146–170 μ m, tibia + tarsus: 208–216 μ m, tarsal digitules 42 μ m, claw digitules 32 μ m; mesothoracic legs: coxa 100–108 μ m, trochanter 56–60 μ m, femur 124–128 μ m, tibia 100–112 μ m, tarsus 114–120 μ m, claw 30–36 μ m, trochanter + femur: 160–184 μ m, tibia + tarsus: 216–232 μ m, tarsal digitules: 40 μ m, claw digitules: 30 μ m; metathoracic legs: coxa 108–110 μ m, trochanter 54–60 μ m, femur 104–120 μ m, tibia 124–126 μ m, tarsus 130–140 μ m, claw 34–36 μ m; tarsal digitules knobbed, claw digitules slightly knobbed and longer than claw; claw with denticle. Hind coxae with translucent pores on dorsal surface. Derm with normal flagellate setae, in varying sizes, usually 24–50 μ m long, present near margins and scattered across segments. Macrotubular ducts of three sizes: large ducts (MTD I) 16–24 μ m long and 10–12 μ m wide, present as transverse bands on marginal parts; intermediate ducts (MTD II) 24–28 μ m long and 4–8 μ m wide, scattered, except for margin; small ducts (MTD III) 6–10 μ m long and 3.5–4 μ m wide, present as transverse bands on marginal parts of venter. Multilocular pores each 5–6 μ m in diameter and with 7 loculi, forming transverse bands on abdominal segments III–VIII+X, and a few present near anterior spiracles. Quinquelocular pores each about 4 μ m in diameter, present on abdominal segments I–VI and near anterior and posterior spiracles. Cruciform pores few, each 3–4 μ m in diameter, on submargin of prothorax and head.

Dorsum. Dorsal enlarged conical setae of two types: longer ones with pointed tip, 46–54 μ m, present on margin; smaller ones with pointed tip, 14–40 μ m long, in transverse rows on each body segment, rows irregular on head. Macrotubular ducts of three sizes, similar to ventral ones: large ducts (MTD I) present on head, thorax and abdominal segments; intermediate ducts (MTD II) on all segments but much sparser than large ducts; small ducts (MTD III) scattered on abdominal segments. Anal ring well-developed, with partially double rows of pores, about 80 μ m in diameter, with 6 strong setae, each about 100 μ m long.

Differential diagnosis. Rhizococcus avicennae sp. nov. is similar to R. desertus (Matesova, 1957) , redescribed by KOZÁR et al. (2013) from Kazakhstan, in the following characters: (i) enlarged setae present on dorsum of abdominal segment VIII; (ii) dorsal enlarged setae usually sharply pointed; (iii) dorsal enlarged setae on abdominal segment VIII numbering 6–8; and (iv) three enlarged setae present on anal lobes with two microtubular ducts on dorsal surface. Rhizococcus avicennae differs from R. desertus as follows (the character states of R. desertus in parentheses): (i) cruciform pores present on venter of head, thorax, and abdominal segments I and II (only on head and prothorax); (ii) frontal lobes and frontal tubercle absent (present); (iii) flagellate setae present on ventral submargin (enlarged setae present on submargin in two or three rows); (iv) macroducts present in three sizes on venter and dorsum (one size on dorsum and one size on venter).

Host plant and ecology. The females of the new species were collected at the bases of leaves of an unidentified species of grass ( Poaceae ). Males, life cycle and development unknown.

Etymology. The new species is named afterAvicenna (Abu Ali Sina), Persian philosopher and scientist (ca. 980–1037) who lived in Hamadan, Iran.

Key to species of Rhizococcus in Iran (based on adult female morphology)

1 Anal lobe setae hair-like. ............................................ ..................................... R. borchsenii (Danzig, 1975)

– Anal lobe setae enlarged, spine–like.........................2

2 Macroducts present in three sizes on venter and dorsum. ................................... R. avicennae sp. nov.

– Macroducts present in single size on venter and dorsum......................................................................3

3 Dorsal enlarged setae of various sizes but most of them 2/3 smaller than marginal enlarged setae, small setae scattered all over surface. .................................. ......................... R. saxidesertus (Borchsenius, 1949)

– Most dorsal enlarged setae almost equal in size or slightly shorter than marginal enlarged setae, if such small setae present, then restricted to posterior abdominal segments only. .......................................... .................................... R. reynei (Schmutterer, 1952)

Figures

Fig. 1. Live adult female of Rhizococcus avicennae sp. nov.

Fig. 2. Adult female of Rhizococcus avicennae sp. nov., left side dorsal view, right side ventral view. Abbreviations: AL – anal lobe; ANT – antenna; AR – anal ring; C – claw; CP – cruciform pore; LS – large seta; LB – labium; MP – multilocular pore; MTD I – large type of macrotubular duct; MTD II – intermediate type of macrotubular duct; MTD III – small type of macrotubular duct; QP – quinquelocular pore; TP – translucent pore.