Rhizococcus saxidesertus (Borchsenius)

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 : 137

Rhizococcus saxidesertus (Borchsenius)

( Fig. 64 , distribution map Fig. 93H )

Acanthococcus saxidesertus Borchsenius, 1949a: 343 . Nidularia saxidesertus (Borchsenius) ; Lindinger 1957: 543. Eriococcus saxidesertus (Borchsenius) ; Hoy 1963: 115. Rhizococcus saxidesertus (Borchsenius) ; Kozár et al. 2013: 540‒542.

Field characteristics: Live adult female body egg-shaped; ovisac greyish, compact, entirely enclosing body.

Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted adult female body broadly oval.Antennae each with 7 segments. Frontal lobes and frontal tubercles present. Eyes situated adjacent to margin. Legs well developed; meso- and metathoracic coxae each without spinulae on ventral suface; hind coxa and femur with translucent pores on dorsal surfaces; tibiae each with 5 setae (median seta present); tarsal and claw digitules knobbed at apex, all longer than claw; claw with denticle near apex. Anal lobes sclerotized, dorsum of each with 2 enlarged setae along inner margin and 1 on outer margin, similar in size to those on dorsal abdominal margin; ventral surface with 3 long slender setae. Anal ring bearing 1 row pores and eight setae. Cauda present, sclerotized.

Dorsum: margin with a band of fairly-long enlarged spine-like setae with pointed apices, varying in size and shape. Margin of abdominal segment VII with 3 lateral enlarged setae on each side. Smaller setae, some slightly curved, forming sparse rows across middle parts of abdominal segments; submarginal area without enlarged setae. Macrotubular ducts of 1 size sparsely present throughout. Microtubular ducts scattered throughout.

Venter with hair-like setae present in medial areas of abdominal segments; enlarged setae forming marginal and submarginal rows. Quinquelocular pores distributed in sparse bands and rows across all segments of abdomen and thorax; trilocular pores few, on thorax and head. Macrotubular ducts of 2 sizes: (i) larger ducts same size as those on dorsum, in a marginal band; and (ii) narrower ducts scattered throughout, including margins. Microtubular ducts present on submarginal areas. Cruciform pores absent.

Distribution: Rhizococcus saxidesertus is known only from Tajikistan, Türkiye ( Turkey) and Iran ( García Morales et al. 2016), where it was collected from Ardabil province ( Moghaddam 2013).

Host-plants: The scale has been recorded only on a fern, Asplenium ceterach ( Aspleniaceae ) ( García Morales et al. 2016); in Iran, it was found on an unidentified plant ( Moghaddam 2013).

Economic importance: Not known as a pest in Iran.

Natural enemies: None recorded.

Figures

FIGURE 64. Adult female of Rhizococcus saxidesertus (Borchsenius), reproduced from Kozár et al. (2013), page 541, fig. 192, published by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.

FIGURE 93. Distribution maps of scale insect species in Iran covered in this work. A, Pulvinaria urbicola Cockerell; B, Pulvinaria vitis (Linnaeus); C, Rhizococcus asperulae Moghaddam; D, Rhizococcus avicennae Moghaddam; E, Rhizococcus borchsenii Danzig; F, Rhizococcus istresianus (Goux); G, Rhizococcus reynei (Schmutterer); H, Rhizococcus saxidesertus (Borchsenius); I, Rhizopulvinaria artemisiae (Signoret); J, Rhizopulvinaria turkestanica (Archangelskaya); K, Saissetia coffeae (Walker); L, Saissetia miranda (Cockerell & Parrott); M, Saissetia oleae (Olivier); N, Sphaerolecanium prunastri (Boyer de Fonscolombe); O, Stotzia ephedrae (Newstead).