Rhizopulvinaria turkestanica (Archangelskaya)

(Fig. 38, Plate 3D, distribution map Fig. 93J)

Pulvinaria artemisiae turkestanica Archangelskaya, 1931: 81 . Rhizopulvinaria turkestanica (Archangelskaya); Borchsenius 1952b: 302.

Field characteristics: Adult females oval to circular, convex; young female bright green with a longitudinal yellow band medially; older specimens with body dorsally wrinkled. Ovisac oval or circular, strongly convex and white.

Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted adult female body broadly oval, with parallel sides; membranous at maturity; lacking stigmatic clefts, and anal cleft rather shallow.

Dorsum. Derm membranous on young female.Setae spiniform conical and short, sparsely distributed throughout. Tubular ducts small and sparsely distributed. Preopercular pores circular, each with a granulate surface, present in a long group between just anterior to anal plates and abdominal segment I. Smaller discoidal pores sparsely scattered over dorsum. Anal plates together quadrate, each with 3 apical setae. Anal ring bearing 6 setae.

Margin. Marginal setae spinelike, each with blunt apex, present more-or-less in 2 uneven rows. Stigmatic setae, if differentiated from marginal setae, numbering 3 (rarely 2) per stigmatic area, each seta widening at base, with rounded apex, slightly thicker than a marginal seta but somewhat shorter or equal in length.

Venter. Derm entirely membranous. With pairs of long setae on posterior 3 abdominal segments anterior to anogenital fold; 5 pairs of setae between antennal bases, and large, spinose setae frequent in submarginal ring; other setae normal. Pregenital disc-pores mostly each with 7 loculi, numerous around anogenital fold, less frequent across anterior abdominal segments II−VI, also with 1 or 2 pores present lateral to metacoxa. Spiracular disc-pores usually each with 5 loculi, but sometimes 3- and 4-locular pores present in broad bands. Microducts present throughout, except on posterior abdominal segments. Tubular ducts of 3 types present: (i) a duct with a fairly short outer ductule and a very long filamentous inner ductule with a small terminal gland, present in a rather narrow submarginal band, extending to head; (ii) a duct with a long outer ductule and a long and wide inner ductule with a large terminal gland, present medially on head, thorax and abdominal segments and (iii) a duct with a longer outer ductule than type (i) and a filamentous inner ductule with no visible terminal gland, present medially on abdominal segments, thorax and head. Antennae each with 7 or 8 segments. Legs slender, each with a tibio-tarsal articulation and articulatory sclerosis; claw with a small denticle; claw digitules both fine with enlarged apex, tarsal digitules similar but longer.

Distribution: Rhizopulvinaria turkestanica is a Palaearctic species known from Armenia, Iran, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Türkiye (Turkey), Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (García Morales et al. 2016). In Iran, it is found in Chaharmahal & Bakhtiari, Esfahan, Fars, Ilam, Kermanshah, Khorasan -e Shomali, Kohgiluyeh & Boryerahmad, Kurdistan, Lorestan, Markazi and Semnan provinces (Moghaddam 2013).

Host-plants: The species is fairly polyphagous, having been recorded on host-plants in 15 genera belonging to seven families (García Morales et al. 2016). In Iran, it has been recorded on Carthamus oxyacantha ( Asteraceae) and Noaea mucronata ( Chenopodiaceae) (Moghaddam 2013).

Economic importance: Not of any economic importance in Iran.

Natural enemies: None recorded in Iran.