Cryptococcus fagisuga Lindinger

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 : 104

Cryptococcus fagisuga Lindinger

( Fig. 45 , distribution map Fig. 89K )

Coccus fagi Bärensprung, 1849: 174 . Coccus fagi (Bärensprung) ; Walker 1852: 1086. Cryptococcus fagisuga Lindinger, 1936: 444 (replacement name).

Field characters: Live adult female bright yellow, nearly hemispherical, enclosed in felted, filamentous ovisac of white wax.

Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted adult female subcircular or broadly oval, 0.5-1.0 mm long; derm remaining membranous throughout life. Antennae stub-like, each 1‒3 segmented. Pro- and mesothoracic legs absent; each hind leg reduced to an oval cluster pore plate. Anal ring bearing 4 setae and small pores and surrounded by 6 or 8 large setae.

Dorsum. Setae conical, scattered. Macrotubular ducts of 1 size, and microtubular ducts present throughout. Multilocular disc-pores absent.

Venter. Setae hair-like. Spiracles heavily sclerotized, each with 3–6 associated quinquelocular disc-pores. Quinquelocular pores present as group in area of anal ring; others present mostly in marginal areas of venter. Macrotubular ducts of 1 size present throughout, and microtubular ducts present along margin. Cruciform pores absent.

Distribution: Cryptococcus fagisuga is a species of Palaearctic origin, now known from 40 countries in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions ( García Morales et al. 2016). In Iran, it has been recorded from Gilan and Mazandaran provinces ( Moghaddam 2009).

Host-plants: The scale is oligophagous, having been recorded on host-plants in two genera belonging to the families Fagaceae ( Fagus spp. ), and possibly Pinaceae ( Pinus sylvestris ) ( García Morales et al. 2016); however, Kosztarab & Kozar (1988) regarded the latter as a very doubtful record. In Iran, it has been found on Fagus orientalis ( Fagaceae ) ( Moghaddam 2009).

Economic importance: In association with canker fungi, Neonectria spp. (Ascomycota, Nectriaceae ); C. fagisuga causes extensive damage to native beech trees in the northeastern United States ( Miller & Miller, 1993a), whereas in its natural range the beech trees are tolerant of the fungi. The scale is of no economic importance in Iran.

Natural enemies: None recorded in Iran.

Figures

FIGURE 45. Adult female of Cryptococcus fagisuga Lindinger, modified from Miller & Miller (1993a), page 69, fig. 30, with kind permission from the authors and the publisher of The American Entomological Institute. A, antenna; B, hind leg represented by cluster pore plate; C, spiracle; D, trilocular pore; E, quinquelocular disc-pores; F, macrotubular duct; G, anal ring; H, microtubular duct.

FIGURE 89. Distribution maps of scale insect species in Iran covered in this work. A, Asterodiaspis minor (Russell); B, Asterodiaspis quercicola (Bouché); C, Bambusaspis bambusae (Boisduval); D, Bodenheimera rachelae (Bodenheimer); E, Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock; F, Ceroplastes rubens Maskell; G, Ceroplastes rusci (Linnaeus); H, Ceroplastes sinensis Del Guercio; I, Coccus hesperidum Linnaeus; J, Coccus pseudomagnoliarum (Kuwana); K, Cryptococcus fagisuga Lindinger; L, Didesmococcus unifasciatus (Archangelskaya).