Rhizococcus istresianus ( Goux, 1989 )

Moghaddam, Masumeh, 2019, Two new scale insect species (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Acanthococcidae and Pseudococcidae) and a new country record from protected areas in Iran, Zootaxa 4706 (3), pp. 451-460 : 457

Rhizococcus istresianus ( Goux, 1989)

( Fig. 4 )

Eriococcus istresianus Goux, 1989: 19–23 ; Eriococcus arboisi, Goux, 1991: 46–47 .

Material examined. IRAN, left label: 2983 / Kermanshah province: / Gilan -e Garb / Gallajeh Protected Area / 11.vii.2018 / N33˚59′23″ / E49˚29′53″; right label: Rhizococcus istresianusn / on Carthamus tinctorius / ( Asteraceae ) / Coll. M. Moghaddam, 1 adult female ( HMIM).

Live specimens. Found on the upper leaf surfaces; body of adult female cream-coloured, concealed in a white ovisac.

Diagnosis. Body elongate oval, about 2.81 mm long, 1.85 mm wide. Antenna 7 segmented, about 272 μm long. Frontal lobes developed. Eyes situated on venter near margin. Anal lobes well developed and slightly sclerotized, each with 2 enlarged setae along inner margin and 1 enlarged seta on outer margin.

Dorsum. Dorsal enlarged setae with rounded to relatively pointed apices, except those on posterior abdominal segments more or less blunt; abundant over dorsal surface; usually with 1 or 2 present on all marginal segments; absent from abdominal segment VIII. Macrotubular ducts all of 1 size, present throughout. Microtubular ducts scattered throughout. Anal ring with 8 hair-like setae and 2 rows of pores. Cauda (median plate) strongly sclerotized.

Venter. Labium 3-segmented. Legs well developed; tarsal and claw digitules knobbed; claw digitules longer than claw; claw with denticle. Meta- and mesothoracic coxae spinulate on ventral surface, anterior edge indefinite and spinulate; distinct translucent pores present on margin of hind coxa on dorsal surface; tibiae each with 5 setae, median seta present. Posterior spiracles slightly larger than anterior. Ventral setae mostly hair-like, but some enlarged setae present in marginal and submarginal areas. Ventral quinquelocular pores (sometimes trilocular) distributed in sparse bands and rows on all segments of abdomen and thorax. Macrotubular ducts all of 1 size, scattered. Microtubular ducts scattered throughout. Cruciform pores scattered on ventral submargins from head to abdominal segments.

Comments. Rhizococcus istresianus was described from France by Goux (1989) and has been recorded from Greece, Hungary and Turkey on 2 host-plant genera belonging to 2 families, Asteraceae and Cistaceae ( Garcia Morales et al., 2016) . Goux’s type material has not been examined in this study. The characters in the Iranian specimen are the same as shown in Goux’s original illustration in the following characters: (i) enlarged dorsal spines stout, each 3x longer than width of seta base, (ii) dorsal spines present on almost all segments, mostly each with rounded apex but spines towards posterior with blunter apices, (iii) frontal lobes between antennae developed normally, more or less sclerotized, (iv) cauda (median plate) present, (v) hind coxae each with marginal translucent pores and spicules. In the Iranian specimen, the meso- and metacoxae each have spinulae on the ventral surfaces that extend anteriorly onto the surrounding derm, whereas Goux’s original illustration shows the meso- and metacoxae each with spinulae but these not extending anteriorly onto the surrounding derm.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Adult female of Rhizococcus istersianus (Goux).