Neoacanthococcus tamaricicola Borchsenius

(Fig. 58, distribution map Fig. 91D)

Neoacanthococcus tamaricicola Borchsenius, 1948: 502‒503 .

Field characteristics: Live adult female body oval, about 2.5 mm long.

Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted adult female body elongate oval. Antennae each with 7 segments. Frontal lobes well developed and sclerotized frontal tubercles also present. Legs well developed; all coxae with spinulae, and metathoracic coxae and femur with translucent pores; tibiae each with 4 setae, tarsi each with 5 setae; claw with a small denticle. Anal lobes strongly developed, each with 3 enlarged setae and 2 microtubular ducts on dorsal surface.Anal ring strongly sclerotized, bearing 8 (occasionally 9 or 10) setae and a single row of pores. Cauda present, not very visible.

Dorsum with enlarged setae almost hair-like. Quinquelocular pores present on posterior abdominal segments. Macrotubular ducts scattered throughout, usually in segmental bands. Microtubular ducts scattered throughout.

Venter with a sparse covering of scattered flagellate hair-like setae; enlarged setae present on submargin in 2 or 3 rows. Labium large, basal segment with 2 subequal pairs of long setae. Disc-pores each with 3–5 loculi in a single ring, distributed in sparse rows across all abdominal and thoracic segments, and on head. Macrotubular ducts all of 1 size, distributed on medial areas and submargins of abdominal segments and scattered medially on thorax and head. Microtubular ducts few, present on margins (not illustrated). Cruciform pores absent.

Distribution: Neoacanthococcus tamaricicola is only known from Turkmenistan and Iran (García Morales et al. 2016), where it was found in Khouzestan province (Moghaddam 2009).

Host-plants: The scale has been recorded feeding on host-pants in the families Polygonaceae and Tamaricaceae; in Iran, it was found on Tamarix sp. ( Tamaricaceae) (García Morales et al. 2016; Moghaddam 2013).

Economic importance: Not known as a pest in Iran.

Natural enemies: None recorded in Iran.