Pulvinaria floccifera (Westwood)

(Fig. 34, distribution map Fig. 92L)

Coccus flocciferus Westwood, 1870: 308 . Pulvinaria floccifera (Westwood); Green 1897: 72. Chloropulvinaria floccifera (Westwood); Borchsenius 1952b: 300. Pulvinaria floccifera (Westwood); Ben-Dov 1993: 261.

Field characteristics: Live adult female elongate oval, slightly convex, cream to tan in colour. Mature adult female produces an elongate white ovisac with 3 shallow longitudinal furrows, which may be straight or curved.

Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted adult female body elongate oval, remaining membranous at maturity. Stigmatic clefts rather shallow. Anal cleft of moderate depth.

Dorsum. Derm entirely membranous; dermal areolations usually absent. Setae spiniform, scattered throughout. Pores absent. Preopercular pores oval to circular, present anterior to anal plates. Submarginal duct tubercles present, sometimes numbering 8 or more on each side. Tubular ducts absent. Anal plates together quadrate, each plate with 4 apical setae. Anal ring usually bearing 6 setae.

Margin. Marginal setae long, acute, fringed or bifid, numerous; with about 20 setae between anterior and posterior stigmatic clefts on each side. Stigmatic clefts distinct but shallow, each containing 3 setae, median seta about 2 times longer than lateral setae.

Venter. Derm membranous. Pregenital disc-pores mostly each with 7 loculi, present around anogenital fold, and on mediolateral areas of preceding 3 or 4 abdominal segments; a small group also present lateral to each metacoxa and mesocoxa. Spiracular disc-pores each with 5 loculi, present in a narrow band between each spiracle and margin. Microducts present in a broad submarginal band and scattered throughout. Tubular ducts of 3 types: (i) a duct with short, filamentous inner ductule and minute terminal gland, mainly present in broad submarginal band extending from anal cleft to posterior spiracular disc-pore band, but a few also present on marginal area of head and between spiracular disc pore bands; (ii) a duct rather narrower than type (iii), with shallow cup-shaped invagination, long, slender inner ductule, and well-developed terminal gland, present medially on posterior abdominal segments and also in posterior submarginal band intermingled with ducts of type (i); and (iii) a duct with a fairly wide inner ductule and well-developed terminal gland, present medially on head, thorax, and first 2 or 3 abdominal segments extending laterally to spiracles. Legs well developed, each with free articulation between tibia and tarsus, and with an articulatory sclerosis; each claw without a denticle; both claw digitules broad and shorter than thin tarsal digitules. Antennae each with 8 segments, with segments III and IV subequal.

Distribution: Pulvinaria floccifera is a cosmopolitan species (García Morales et al. 2016); in Iran, it is found in Gilan and Mazandaran provinces (Moghaddam 2013).

Host-plants: The species is polyphagous, having been recorded on host-plants belonging to 39 families (García Morales et al. 2016). In Iran, it has been found on Mespilus germanica ( Rosaceae) and Ilex spinigera ( Aquifoliaceae) (Moghaddam 2013).

Economic importance: The species is one of the most important pests of tea ( Camellia sinensis) gardens in northern Iran (Naeim Amini et al. 2010).

Natural enemies: The fungal pathogen Lecanicillium lecanii (Petch Zare & Gams) ( Cordycipitaceae) has been recorded on P. floccifera in Iran (Naeim Amini et al. 2010).

Comments: Please see the comments under P. camelicola above.