KERMESIDAE Signoret

Moghaddam, Masumeh & Watson, Gillian W., 2024, The Scale Insects Of Iran (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) Part 3 The Soft Scales (Coccidae) And Other Families, Zootaxa 5542 (1), pp. 1-202 : 141

Family KERMESIDAE Signoret

Species of the scale insect family Kermesidae ( Hemiptera : Coccomorpha ) are distributed in the Nearctic, Oriental and Palaearctic regions. The family contains 91 species in ten genera worldwide ( García Morales et al. 2016), and all the species develop exclusively on Fagaceae ( Miller & Miller 1993b) . Three kermesid species, belonging to the genera Kermes Boitard and Nidularia Targioni Tozzetti , have been recorded from Iran on Quercus spp. ( Moghaddam 2013).

Appearance in life: The Kermesidae are host specific on Fagaceae (mainly Quercus spp.) and are distinctive in appearance, the globular mature adult females being very similar to galls caused by cynipid wasps ( Hymenoptera : Cynipidae ) or to overwintering buds. Post-reproductive adult female are sclerotized, leathery, and usually globular to nearly spherical, normally found on twigs and branches or in bark crevices. Mostly, kermesids do not cause visible damage to their hosts although there are a few reports of branch dieback, flagging, reduced tree growth rates and occasionally tree death, mainly in urban areas ( Kozár 1974). Some species of Kermes are known for their historic importance as natural sources of crimson dyes used in the textile industry ( Cardon 2007).

Diagnostic characters: Slide-mounted adult female with: body usually circular; antennae ( Fig. 66A ) each with 1–6 segments; legs ( Fig. 66B ) variously reduced, with indistinct segmentation; spiracles ( Fig. 66C ) normal, each usually with quinquelocular pores outside opening; anal ring ( Fig. 66E ) with or without pores or setae; anal lobes poorly developed; disc-pores ( Fig. 66D ) of two types, those with 5 loculi and those with 8‒10 loculi; simple pores (probably modified microducts) present; tubular ducts ( Fig. 66F ), each with cup-shaped inner end, arranged in a dense submarginal band on venter; microtubular ducts absent.

KEY TO GENERA OF KERMESIDAE IN IRAN, based on slide-mounted adult females.

1(0) Legs present. Venter with a broad submarginal band of tubular ducts, 10–30 ducts wide. Anal ring with setae but no pores. Anterior spiracles usually obviously smaller than posterior spiracles. In life, no ovisac produced............ Kermes Boitard

- Legs absent. Venter with a narrow submarginal band of tubular ducts, 1–4 ducts wide. Anal ring with both setae and pores. Anterior spiracles about same size as posterior spiracles. In life, produces an ovisac............. Nidularia Targioni Tozzetti

Figures

FIGURE 66. Adult female of Kermes quercus (Linnaeus), modified from Podsiadło (2014), page 265, fig. 3, published in Polish Journal of Entomology. A, antenna; B, base of hind leg; C, anterior thoracic spiracle; D, Disc-pores each with 4‒12 loculi; E, anal ring, situated on venter; F, macroducts, varying in size, some with inner ends wrench shaped in longitudinal section.