Rhizococcus avicennae Moghaddam, 2018

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 : 131

Rhizococcus avicennae Moghaddam

( Fig. 60 , Plate 4C , distribution map Fig. 93D )

Rhizococcus avicennae Moghaddam, 2018: 520 .

Field characteristics: Live adult female oval, with dark green body contents; ovisac white, rounded, and completely covering body.

Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted adult female body elongate oval, tapering posteriorly. Antennae each with 7 segments. Frontal lobes and frontal tubercles absent. Eyes situated on margins. Legs well developed; hind coxae each with translucent pores; tarsal and claw digitules knobbed apically and longer than claw; claw with a denticle. Anal lobes strongly developed, dorsum of each with 4 enlarged setae and 1 or 2 microtubular ducts. Anal ring with a partial double row of pores and bearing 6 setae. Cauda absent. Large setae on margins few or absent.

Dorsum with enlarged conical setae of 2 types, both with pointed tips: (i) longer type situated on margin, few; and (ii) smaller type forming transverse rows across each segment, and irregular rows across head. Margin of abdominal segment VII with 3 lateral enlarged setae on each side. Macrotubular ducts of 3 sizes: (i) large ducts present on head, thorax and abdominal segments; (ii) intermediate-sized ducts present on all segments but much fewer than large ducts; and (iii) small ducts forming transverse rows across each abdominal segment.

Venter with normal flagellate setae of various sizes, present from median area to margin. Labium basal segment bearing 2 unequal pairs of setae. Disc-pores each with 7 loculi in a single ring, forming transverse rows across abdominal segments III–VIII+X, plus a few near each anterior spiracle. Hind femur without translucent pores. Quinquelocular pores present on abdominal segments I–VI and near anterior and posterior spiracles. Macrotubular ducts of 3 sizes, similar to those on dorsum: large ducts forming transverse bands in marginal areas; intermediate-sized ducts scattered but absent from margins; and small ducts forming transverse rows across abdominal segments IV–VI. Cruciform pores few, present on submargins of prothorax and head.

Distribution: Rhizococcus avicennae has been recorded only from Iran, Hamadan province ( Moghaddam 2018).

Host-plants: The scale was found on an unidentified grass (P oaceae) ( Moghaddam 2018).

Economic importance: Not known as a pest in Iran.

Natural enemies: None recorded in Iran.

Figures

PLATE 4. Eriococcidae: A, Anophococcus abaii (Danzig); B, Rhizococcus asperulae Moghaddam; C, Rhizococcus avicennae Moghaddam; D, Rhizococcus borchsenii (Danzig); Kermesidae: E, Kermes quercus (Linnaeus); F, Kermes spatulatus Balachowsky; G, Nidularia balachowskii Bodenheimer. Monophlebidae: H, Gueriniella serratulae (Fabricius).

FIGURE 60. Adult female of Rhizococcus avicennae Moghaddam, reproduced from Moghaddam (2018), page 521, fig. 2, with the kind permission of the Editor of Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae.

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).