Millennial zoological mystery of medieval Persian scientists Gavrilov-Zimin, I. A. Kurochkin, A. S. Zoosystematica Rossica 2019 China 2019-08-20 28 2 201 227 Signoret, 1875 Signoret 1875 [231,575,1111,1138] Insecta Pseudococcidae Gossyparia Animalia Hemiptera 5 206 Arthropoda genus   Borchsenius, 1949: 328; Matesova, 1967: 1200; Kozár et al., 2013: 262.  Material examined.   Lectotypeand 1 paralectotype(on the same slide): females,  Tajikistan, Hissar Range, near Ziddy Vill., on stem of old willow,  15.VII.1944( N. Borchseniusleg.).  Other material.   Kazakhstan:  Kyzylorda Prov.: K 1486, 15,  2 kmNE of Kosuyenki Vill., 43°56´12.3´´N, 67°41´09.7´´E, Karatau Range,  390 maltitude, valley of Akuyyk Riv.on branches of  Salixsp.,  25. V.2018( A.S. Kurochkinleg.), 6 females; K 1493, the same data, but 43°56´06.8´´N, 67°40´50.2´´E,  392 maltitude,  14. V.2018, 2 females; K 1494, the same data, but 43°56´11.9´´N, 67°40´49.5´´E,  391 maltitude, 4 females;   Turkistan Prov.: K 1496,  11.97 kmSE of Tonkeris Vill., 42°0959.25´´N, 70°23´42.08´´E, Western Tian Shan Mts, Ugam Range(  1798 maltitude), Sayram-Ugam National Park, valley of Sazanata Riv., on trunk and branches of  Salixsp.,  30. V.2018( A.S. Kurochkinleg.);   Almaty Prov.: Alma-Ata, on  Salix fragilis,  16. VI.1937( E. Samoylovichleg.), 4 females.   Uzbekistan:  Tashkent Prov., on  Salixsp.,  VIII.1910( A.N. Kiritshenkoleg.), 3 females;  Chimgan, on willow,  25.VII.1911( P. Borovskoyleg.), 4 females.   Kyrgyzstan:  Issyk-Kul Prov.: Karakol, 1910 ( D. Pedashchenkoleg.), 17 females;   Jalal-Abad Prov.: Kugat Valley, on  Salixsp.,  27.VII.1937( N. Borchseniusleg.), 4 females.   Tajikistan: Hissar Range: Kondara Gorge, on  Salixsp.,  20. VI. 1975( E. Danzigleg.), 4 females;   Tavildara Distr.: Tavildara Vill., on willow,  VIII.1959( E.A. Borovkovleg.);   Sughd Prov.: Istaravshan, 1939 ( Bishaleg.), 5 females; “ Matga Vill.”, on  Salixsp., 1942 ( Timofeevaleg.), 5 females;  3 females;   Khatlon Prov.: Panj, on trunk of  Salixsp.,  1. VI.1944( N. Borchseniusleg.);   Kuhistani Badakhshan Autonomous Reg.: Kalai- Khumb, on  Salixsp.,  27.VIII.1959( E.A. Borovkovleg.).   Fig. 6.Adult female of  Gossyparia salicicola, prepared on slide (Kazakhstan: Kyzylorda Prov.). Dried colonies of females on pieces of host plants from Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan(Nohur), Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan. Four series of females fixed in aceto-ethanol from Kazakhstan.  Morphological description. Adult female. Body egg-shaped, up to 2.5 mmwide, red-brown in life, located inside of grey wax sac which opens on dorsum in ovipositing female ( Figs 6–7). Antennae 7-segmented, each about 250 µm long. Legs with all segments normally developed, without translucent pores; claw with denticle; claw digitules with clavate apices. Anal apparatus with outer row of spinulae, incomplete inner row of pores and eight long setae, each about two times as long as diameter of anal ring. Multilocular pores absent. Quinquelocular pores, each about 5 µm in diameter, scattered on all ventral surface of body, excluding marginal zone of ventral thorax and anterior abdominal sternites. Oval discoidal pores (“cruciform pores” in some authors) each about 3 µm in diameter, forming marginal band on ventral thorax and anterior abdominal sternites. Macrotubular ducts of two sizes, larger ducts, each about Fig. 8.General morphology of  Gossyparia salicicola( Kazakhstan: Western Tian Shan Mts). 25–35 µm long and 8 µm wide forming band along midline of thoracic and anterior abdominal tergites and marginal band along all dorsal surface; occasional ducts also present in medial/submedial zone of abdominal tergites; smaller macrotubular ducts, each about 25–30 µm long and 5–7 µm wide, scattered on all ventral surface of body. Microtubular ducts each about 8 µm long and 1 µm wide, scattered on all dorsal surface of body. Conical setae with more or less blunt apices, each about 25–30 µm long, forming transverse rows on all tergites; largest conical setae (each about 55– 70 µm long) present forming marginal row with four setae on each side of each tergite (Fig. 8). Flagellate setae of different sizes forming transverse rows on abdominal sternites and sparsely present on ventral surface of thorax and head. Numerous minute cuticular tubercles covering all dorsal surface of body.   Fig. 7.Colony of adult females of  Gossyparia salicicolaon stem of  Salixsp., (Kazakhstan: Kyzylorda Prov.) and enlarged illustration of the groups of females. Morphology of adult males unknown. Primolarva was described by Borchsenius, 1949.  Ontogenesis and mode of life.As all other felt-scales discussed in this paper, the species has two larval instars before moulting into reproducing neotenic female and four preadult instars (two larval + two nymphal) in male (Fig. 9). For the general review of the scale insect ontogenesis and appropriate terminology see Gavrilov-Zimin (2018). According to Matesova (1967), the species has one generation per year. Ultimolarvae hibernate and then moult to imago in April. In the mid-May, females form wax sacs; complete ovoviviparity takes place and the oviposition starts in mid-June and continues about one month. One femaleproduces 305– 418 eggs. The species is monophagous of  Salixspp., forming dense colonies on trunks and thick branches ( Fig. 7), not infrequently counting thousands of specimens as well as often significantly damaging the host plants ( Matesova, 1967).  Distribution. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan. Probably, the species is more widely distributed in Western and Central Asia; in particular, its probable presence in Azerbaijanand Iranis discussed above.  Fig. 9.Generalised scheme of the life cycle of Palaearcic  Gossyparia–  Acanthococcusspp.L, larva (without protoptera); N, nymph (with protoptera). 1944-07-15 N. Borchsenius Tajikistan Hissar Range 5 206 1 lectotype 2018-05-25 V Karatau Range & A. S. Kurochkin Kazakhstan 390 43.936752 Akuyyk Riv. 1 67.68603 Kyzylorda Prov. 5 206 6 6 2018-05-14 V Karatau Range & A. S. Kurochkin Kazakhstan 392 43.935223 Akuyyk Riv. 1 67.68061 Kyzylorda Prov. 5 206 2 2 2018-05-14 V Karatau Range & A. S. Kurochkin Kazakhstan 391 43.93664 Akuyyk Riv. 1 67.68041 Kyzylorda Prov. 5 206 4 4 2018-05-30 V A. S. Kurochkin Kazakhstan Turkistan Prov. 1798 Ugam Range 70.39502 Western Tian Shan Mts 5 206 1 1937-06-16 VI E. Samoylovich Kazakhstan 6 207 Alma-Ata 5 206 4 4 Almaty Oblysy 1910-08 A. N. Kiritshenko Uzbekistan Tashkent Prov. 6 207 3 3 1911-07-25 P. Borovskoy Uzbekistan Chimgan 6 207 4 4 D. Pedashchenko Kyrgyzstan Karakol Issyk-Kul Prov. 6 207 17 17 1937-07-27 N. Borchsenius Kyrgyzstan Kugat Valley Jalal-Abad Prov. 6 207 4 4 1975-06-20 VI E. Danzig Tajikistan Kondara Gorge Hissar Range 6 207 4 4 1959-08 E. A. Borovkov Tajikistan Tavildara Vill. Tavildara Distr. 6 207 1 Bisha Tajikistan Istaravshan 6 207 5 5 Sughd Timofeeva Tajikistan Matga Vill. 6 207 5 5 [488,599,568,593] Timofeeva Tajikistan true Matga Vill. 6 207 3 3 1944-06-01 VI N. Borchsenius Tajikistan Panj 6 207 1 Khatlon 1959-08-27 E. A. Borovkov Tajikistan Khumb Kuhistani Badakhshan Autonomous Reg. 6 207 1