Acanthococcus aceris 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 : 110

Acanthococcus aceris Signoret

( Fig. 48 , distribution map Fig. 88A )

Acanthococcus aceris Signoret, 1875: 35‒36 .

Field characteristics: Body of live adult female oval, chestnut brown, with surface covered by compact, greyish felted ovisac.

Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted adult female oval, tapering posteriorly. Antennae each with 6 or 7 segments. Frontal lobes well developed, and frontal tubercles present. Legs well developed; meso- and metathoracic coxae each with spinulae on ventral surface; translucent pores absent; claw and tarsal digitules all with apical knobs; claws each with denticle. Anal lobes strongly developed and sclerotized, frequently inner margins with tooth-like projections; each lobe with 3 enlarged setae and 3–5 microtubular ducts on dorsal surface, and ventrally with 2 flagellate setae. Anal ring strongly sclerotized, bearing 8 setae and pores. Cauda triangular, slightly sclerotized.

Dorsum with spinose setae of 2 sizes: (i) marginal enlarged setae conical, long (mostly more than 2x as long as a dorsal enlarged seta) and blunt; and (ii) other dorsal setae shorter, conical and blunt, present in transverse segmental rows; medial area of abdominal segment VIII with 6–8 enlarged setae. Enlarged tubular ducts absent. Macrotubular ducts present throughout. Microtubular ducts long, scattered.

Venter with flagellate setae in median areas, lateral areas with spine-like setae. Apical labial segment with 5 pairs of hair-like setae, median (apical) pair somewhat shorter than others. Disc-pores present in sparse bands across all abdominal segments, also scattered on thorax and head. Macrotubular ducts of 3 sizes: (i) smallest ducts situated on median areas of abdominal segments; (ii) medium-sized ducts present on median areas of abdominal segments; and (iii) largest ducts present in a submarginal band on abdomen, thorax and head. Microtubular ducts absent. Cruciform pores generally forming a submarginal band on thorax and abdominal segments, and a few present on head.

Distribution: Acanthococcus aceris is a Palaearctic species, recorded from 24 countries including Iran, Khuzestan province ( García Morales et al. 2016, Rozedar et al. 2013).

Host-plants: The scale is quite polyphagous, having been recorded on host-plants belonging to 13 genera in 10 families ( García Morales et al. 2016); in Iran, it was found on Citrus spp. ( Rutaceae ) ( Rozedar et al. 2013).

Economic importance: Not known as a pest in Iran.

Natural enemies: None recorded in Iran.

Figures

FIGURE 48. Adult female of Acanthococcus aceris Signoret, reproduced from Kozár et al. (2013) (after Danzig (1975) with modifications), page 85, fig. 32, published by Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.

FIGURE 88. Distribution maps of scale insect species in Iran covered in this work. A, Acanthococcus aceris Signoret; B, Acanthococus costatus Danzig; C, Acanthococcus isacanthus Danzig; D, Acantholecanium haloxyloni (Hall); E, Acanthopulvinaria orientalis (Nasonov); F, Anapulvinaria pistaciae (Bodenheimer); G, Anophococcus abaii (Danzig); H, Anophococcus cingulatus (Kiritchenko); I, Anophococcus insignis (Newstead); J, Anophococcus kondarensis (Borchsenius); K, Anophococcus sanguinairensis (Goux); L, Antecerococcus longipilosus (Archangelskaya).