Peliococcus Borchsenius

Kaydan, Mehmet Bora, 2015, A systematic study of Peliococcus Borchsenius (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae), with descriptions of a new Palaearctic genus and four new species from Turkey, Zootaxa 3920 (2), pp. 201-248 : 212-213

Peliococcus Borchsenius

Peliococcus Borchsenius, 1948: 954, 1949: 241 ; Ferris, 1950: 115; Danzig, 1980: 118, 2001; Kosztarab & Kozár, 1988: 117; Goux, 1990: 77; Tang, 1992: 512; Danzig & Gavrilov-Zimin, 2014: 401.

Spinococcus Kiritchenko, 1931: 314 (nomen nudum)

Acanthococcus Kiritchenko 1936: 155 (homonym of Acanthococcus Signoret, 1875 ).

Spinococcus Borchsenius, 1949: 203 (type species Acanthococcus marrubii Kiritchenko, 1936 ); synonymized by Danzig, 1980: 118.

Parapedronia Balachowsky 1953: 283 (type species Pedronia spinigera Goux, 1937 ); synonymized by Danzig 1960: 178.

Eupeliococcus Săvescu, 1985: 116 (type species Eupeliococcus tragopogoni Săvescu, 1985 ); synonymized by Danzig & Gavrilov-Zimin: 2014: 401.

Type species. Phenacoccus chersonensis Kiritchenko, 1936 , by original designation.

Generic diagnosis. Adult female. Covered with white powdery wax in life. Ovisac woolly, white. Antennae generally 9 segmented (7 or 8 segmented in P. calluneti , 8 segmented in P. spinigerus ). Eyes oval, protruding on small basal cones. Labium 3 segmented, always longer than wide. Posterior spiracles always larger than anterior pair. Circulus present, rarely absent, lying between abdominal segments III and IV. Legs well developed; claw with a denticle; tarsal digutules hair-like, not capitate; claw digitules knobbed, subequal in length; claw digitules thicker than tarsal digitules. Both pairs of ostioles well developed, but anterior ostioles usually more weakly developed than posterior pair. Anal lobes well developed. Anal ring oval, with 1 inner row of pores, 1 or 2 outer rows of pores and 6 setae.

Dorsum. Cerarii numbering 15–18 marginal pairs (exceptionally less than 13 in Peliococcus vivarensis Tranfaglia according to original description and drawing but I have been unable to obtain material), each normally on an elevated area, with 2 enlarged setae and 1–3 trilocular pores. Dorsal setae of 2 sizes: (i) enlarged setae similar to cerarian setae, forming segmental transverse rows or longitudinal rows on body; each with 1 (sometimes 2) trilocular pore(s) near basal socket on an elevated areas (on mid-line of body, these setae generally come together and became dorsal cerarii, especially on posterior segments); and (ii) smaller spine-like setae, randomly distributed among larger setae. Multilocular disc pores present or absent; when present, sometimes forming clusters with oral collar tubular ducts. Clusters either with oral collar tubular ducts of 2 different sizes or with only widest tubular duct; these clusters (or oral collar tubular ducts alone) arranged in transverse rows on abdominal segments; exceptionally pores and ducts not forming definite clusters but in compact transverse bands. Trilocular pores often slightly larger than ventral trilocular pores, scattered, mostly associated with enlarged dorsal setae.

Venter. Most ventral setae slender and hair-like and variable in size; setae on submargin spine-like, in a submarginal longitudinal row). Circulus present or absent; when present, placed between abdominal segments III and IV. Oral collar tubular ducts of up to 3 sizes, varying in length and width; clusters of multilocular disc pores and ducts concentrated in submarginal zone. Multilocular disc pores present on posterior abdominal segments, especially around vulva, but also sometimes present on thorax and head, both in clusters and separately. Quinquelocular pores mainly present in median areas of thorax and abdomen; rarely absent. Trilocular pores scattered throughout.

Comments. Three species, namely Peliococcus daganiae (Bodenheimer) , P. orientalis Bazarov and Spinococcus giuliae Pellizzari , are here transferred to Phenacoccus as: Phenacoccus daganiae (Bodenheimer) comb. nov., P. orientalis (Bazarov) comb. nov. and P. giuliae (Pellizzari) comb. nov. These species lack the diagnostic character states of the genus Peliococcus as rediagnosed here, i.e. they lack: (i) clusters of multilocular disc pores and/or oral collar tubular ducts, (ii) enlarged setae on dorsum, similar to cerarian setae, (iii) trilocular pores near the basal socket of all dorsal setae, which are not on elevated areas, and (iv) cerarii on elevated areas. Danzig & Gavrilov-Zimin (2014) listed P. daganiae and S. giuliae under Phenacoccus citing “Kaydan 2014?”, without suggesting that these were new combinations. Here these two new combinations are made available in a manner that satisfies the requirements on the Code (ICZN, 1999). The species P. orientalis is discussed further above under Comments for Erimococcus above.

Following the removal of the above three species, Peliococcus is considered to contain 23 species and has a Palaearctic distribution especially in the Irano-Turanian and Mediterranean subregions.

According to Danzig (2001), P. chersonensis is common on a range of herbaceous plants throughout the Palaearctic region and varies morphologically quite significantly throughout it’s range in the following characters: i) number of oral collar tubular ducts on dorsum, ii) number of clusters on dorsum and venter, iii) size and number of enlarged dorsal setae, and iv) number of dorsal cerarii. Because of this variation, this species deserves more attention as it may represent a species complex. Peliococcus lycicola Tang was considered by Tang (1992) as close to P. chersonensis , only differing in the form of the circulus. As the shape of the circulus is considered a very variable character in mealybugs, even between individuals in one population, it is not a good character for species separation. Therefore this species is considered here to be a junior synonym of P. chersonensis ( P. lycicola syn. nov.).

Five species, namely Peliococcus convolvuli (Ezzat) , P. jartaiensis (Tang) , P. lavandulae (Signoret) , P. serratus (Ferris) and P. zillae (Hall) are not included in the key because specimens were unavailable. Their status remains unchanged.