Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti)

Moghaddam, Masumeh, 2013, A review of the mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae, Putoidae and Rhizoecidae) of Iran, with descriptions of four new species and three new records for the Iranian fauna, Zootaxa 3632 (1), pp. 1-107 : 74-76

Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti)

( Fig. 41 )

Dactylopius longispinus Targioni Tozzetti, 1867: 75 . Dactylopius hoyae Signoret, 1875a: 317 . Dactylopius pteridis Signoret, 1875a: 321 . Dactylopius longifilis Comstock, 1881: 344 .

DIAGNOSIS. Adult female broadly oval. Anal lobes moderately well developed, each ventral surface with an oval sclerotized area larger than area of anal ring and occupying much of lobe, and with a bar-like structure present near inner margin. Antennae long, 8 segmented. Legs well developed. Translucent pores absent from hind coxa, present on hind femur and tibia. Cerarii numbering 17 pairs. Anal lobe cerarii each with 2 conical setae, plus 4–6 auxiliary setae and a compact group of 60–80 trilocular pores, all situated on oval sclerotized area. Penultimate cerarii (C17) each with 2 conical setae slightly smaller than those on anal lobe cerarii, and usually with about 6 auxiliary setae and a compact group of 50–60 trilocular pores, all situated on a circular sclerotized area. Anterior cerarii with 2 small conical setae, plus 2–6 auxiliary setae and 16–30 trilocular pores, mostly situated on membranous areas; head cerarii (C1 and C2), each usually bearing 3 or 4 conical setae, and C4 with 2 or 3 conical setae. Circulus divided by an intersegmental line. Ostioles well developed. Dorsal surface with short setae and ventral surface with normal flagellate setae. Multilocular pores present on venter, few, around vulva only. Dorsal and ventral trilocular pores evenly distributed. Discoidal pores absent from next to eyes. Dorsal oral rim ducts distributed around margins, most cerarii usually associated with a group of 1 large and 2 small ducts. Ventral oral rim ducts, each about same size as small type on dorsum, located in groups lateral to anterior spiracles and usually singly on margins posteriorly as far as abdominal segment V. Dorsal oral collar ducts usually absent, rarely 1 or 2 present around margins. Ventral oral collar ducts of 3 sizes: large type, each slightly larger than a trilocular pore and often with a narrow indistinct rim and a discoidal pore adjacent to orifice, present in small marginal groups on abdomen and sparsely around anterior margins as far forward as mesothorax or sometimes metathorax; an intermediate type, each a little narrower than a trilocular pore, present medially on abdominal segments VI–VIII or sometimes on abdominal segment V, and a minute duct represented by 1 or 2 medially on abdominal segments VI and VII.

DISTRIBUTION. Afrotropical, Australasian, Nearctic, Neotropical, Oriental, Palaearctic: Afghanistan, Armenia, China, Denmark, Egypt, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iran, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Spain and Turkey. In Iran, P. longispinus occurs in Mazandaran. This mealybug is known from 89 plant families (Ben- Dov et al., 2012).

MATERIAL EXAMINED. Mazandaran: Tonekabon, Khorramabad, 8 adult Ƥ, on Buxus hyaraca (Buxaceae) , 30.vii.2002.

COMMENTS. Despite its almost worldwide distribution on a large range of plants, there is no record of damage by P. longispinus in Iran and the only report of this mealybug is from greenhouses in the north. The plant family Buxaceae is a new record for this species.

The accompanying illustration is taken from Williams (2004) with kind permission from the author and the Keeper of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, London.

Figures

FIGURE 41. Adult female Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti).