Immune Gene Repertoire of Soft Scale Insects (Hemiptera: Coccidae).

Insects possess an effective immune system, which has been extensively characterized in several model species, revealing a plethora of conserved genes involved in recognition, signaling, and responses to pathogens and parasites. However, some taxonomic groups, characterized by peculiar trophic niches, such as plant-sap feeders, which are often important pests of crops and forestry ecosystems, have been largely overlooked regarding their immune gene repertoire. Here we annotated the immune genes of soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccidae) for which omics data are publicly available. By using immune genes of aphids and Drosophila to query the genome of Ericerus pela, as well as the transcriptomes of Ceroplastes cirripediformis and Coccus sp., we highlight the lack of peptidoglycan recognition proteins, galectins, thaumatins, and antimicrobial peptides in Coccidae. This work contributes to expanding our knowledge about the evolutionary trajectories of immune genes and offers a list of promising candidates for developing new control strategies based on the suppression of pests' immunity through RNAi technologies.

Trophobiosis between a new species of Acropyga (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) and new Neochavesia (Hemiptera, Xenococcidae) from Peru, and establishment of the Acropygasmithii species-group.

We describe a new pair of trophobiotic partners from the ant genus Acropyga and the root mealybug genus Neochavesia. A recent field study on Acropyga ants and associated root mealybugs, conducted in the Peruvian Amazon, led to the discovery of Acropygamanuense LaPolla & Schneider, sp. nov. and its root mealybug symbiont Neochavesiapodexuta Schneider & LaPolla, sp. nov. The new root mealybug belongs to the family Xenococcidae, whose members are all obligate associates of Acropyga ants. Providing joint descriptions of new mutualist partners in the same article is a novel approach for this system, and it offers benefits to the ongoing study of mutualism and patterns of association among these symbiotic ants and scales. Here, we also begin to revise the species-group composition of Acropyga by establishing the smithii species-group, and we provide updated information to aid in identifying the new ant species and root mealybug species.

Distinguishing Symbiotic Partners of Acropyga Ants from Free-Living Soil Inhabitants.

The fruitful study of associations between ants and scale insects yields insight into the mechanisms that shape these symbioses. Field collections provide the basic information linking partnered species, and as such it is critical that collection techniques from the field reflect true species-to-species partnerships in the published literature. It is equally critical that such practices limit the potential for mistaking free-living "neighbors" for symbiotic partners and publishing erroneous associations. This article describes a protocol for collecting subterranean scale insects and associated Acropyga Roger ants, which relies upon the activity of worker ants to sort and distinguish symbionts from free-living scale insects that happen to live near the colony. By collecting samples of ants and scales into nest boxes and allowing a resting period of several hours, worker ants will gather symbiotic partners into dense, protected clusters in which symbionts are actively tended. Free-living scale insects neighboring the colony can be collected from soil along with colony samples, but these free-living individuals are excluded from protective clusters and ignored by workers. Following confirmation of ant attendance, true symbiotic partners can be confidently collected, preserved, and recorded for future study. We illustrate the value of employing this collection protocol using a case study from Peru.

Four new species of Aspidiotini (Hemiptera, Diaspididae, Aspidiotinae) from Panama, with a key to Panamanian species.

Four new species of armored scale insect, Clavaspis selvatica sp. nov., Clavaspis virolae sp. nov., Davidsonaspis tovomitae sp. nov., and Rungaspis neotropicalis sp. nov., are described and illustrated from Panama. We also transfer two previously described species of Panamanian Aspidiotini to new genera, Hemiberlesia crescentiae (Ferris) comb. nov. and Rungaspis rigida (Ferris) comb. nov., and report the first record of Selenaspidopsis browni Nakahara in Panama. A key to the species of Aspidiotini occurring in Panama is provided.

The cassava mealybug, Phenacoccus manihoti Matile-Ferrero (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) arrives in India.

Invasive species threaten the ecological and economic wellbeing of a country (Pimentel et al. 2001). In the last decade, several mealybugs and soft scale insects have been accidentally introduced to India, of which some have become serious pests (e.g., Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley, Paracoccus marginatus Williams Granara de Willink, Phenacoccus madeirensis Green and Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi Gimpel Miller); others are widening their host ranges and spreading rapidly. Kilifia acuminata (Signoret) and Protopulvinaria longivalvata Green seem relatively harmless but Trijuba oculata (Brain) and Pulvinaria urbicola Cockerell cause economic damage (Joshi Rameshkumar 2013; Joshi 2017).

Five new species of Aspidiotini (Hemiptera, Diaspididae, Aspidiotinae) from Argentina, with a key to Argentine species.

Five new species of armored scale insect from Argentina are described and illustrated based upon morphological and molecular evidence from adult females: Chortinaspis jujuyensis sp. nov., Clavaspis patagonensis sp. nov., Hemiberlesia ozolita sp. nov., Melanaspis lilloi sp. nov., and Melanaspis targionoides sp. nov. The genera Chortinaspis and Melanaspis are recorded for the first time from this country. An identification key to all recorded species from tribe Aspidiotini occurring in Argentina is provided.

Report on two African mealybug species (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha).

Most mealybug species in the Afrotropical Region have been described or redescribed adequately and their identities are now well established. The species are listed in the catalogue of world species by Ben-Dov (1994) and in ScaleNet, an online database of the scale insects (García-Morales et al. 2019). The genera found in South Africa, and their type species, were discussed by Millar (2002). However, two species remain that have not been discussed since they were described, and their identities remain obscure. Here we discuss these species.

The status of three species names in the mealybug genus Rastrococcus Ferris (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae).

This paper attempts to establish the correct status of three species names in the mealybug genus Rastrococcus Ferris (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae). At present, 31 species are included in the genus (García Morales et al. 2019). The natural distribution of the species is southern Asia and Australasia, but two species have been introduced into Africa and one of them has reached French Guiana.

Erratum: Addendum to Zootaxa 4612 (3): On some new and old soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from Africa, with description of a new Coccus species and introduction of a new genus by B. Lagowska and Chris J. Hodgson.

Due to an oversight, the depositories of the new species, Coccus giliomeei Lagowska Hodgson, and of the new material of Coccus rhodesiensis (Hall) collected in the Transvaal, South Africa, was omitted from the manuscript.  Both lots of slides will be deposited in SANC, The South African National Collection of Insects, Pretoria, South Africa.

A newly recognised species of Cryptes Maskell 1892 (Hemiptera: Coccidae) from Western Australia.

Cryptes utzoni Lin, Kondo Cook sp. n. (Hemiptera: Coccidae) is described based on adult female morphology and DNA sequences from mitochondrial and nuclear loci. This Australian endemic species was found on the stem of Acacia aneura (Fabaceae) in Western Australia. All phylogenetic analyses of three independent DNA loci show that C. utzoni is closely related to C. baccatus (Maskell), the type and only species of Cryptes Maskell, 1892. The adult female of C. utzoni is described and illustrated and a table is provided of the characters that differ among adult females of the two species of Cryptes now recognised (C. baccatus and C. utzoni) and a morphologically similar Western Australian species, Austrolichtensia hakearum (Fuller). There is deep genetic divergence in COI among samples of C. baccatus, suggesting the possibility of a species complex in this taxon.

Taxonomy of coccids (Hemiptera: Coccidae: Coccus L.) associated with Crematogaster ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in the stems of Macaranga plants (Euphorbiaceae) in Southeast Asia.

The Southeast Asian soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) associated with ants of the Crematogaster borneensis-group (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and living in the hollow stems of Macaranga plants (Euphorbiaceae) are revised taxonomically. Ten species of the genus Coccus L. are recognised: seven were described previously and three new species are described herein. The species are: Coccus caviramicolus Morrison, C. circularis Morrison, C. heckrothi Gullan Kondo sp. n., C. lambirensis Gullan Kondo sp. n., C. macarangicolus Takahashi, C. macarangae Morrison, C. penangensis Morrison, C. pseudotumuliferus Gullan Kondo sp. n., C. secretus Morrison and C. tumuliferus Morrison. All of these species are described or redescribed and newly illustrated based on the adult females, and a key to distinguish the species is provided. We designate a lectotype for C. macarangicolus. The first-instar nymphs of all species are morphologically extremely similar and therefore only the first-instar nymph of C. macarangae is described and illustrated. Seven of these species currently are known only from Macaranga, but C. macarangae, C. secretus and perhaps C. pseudotumuliferus have been recorded from the hollow stems of several other ant-plants and a few non-myrmecophytes. The Coccus species from Macaranga are closely related to C. hesperidum L., the type species of the genus, and therefore are retained in the genus Coccus even though the adult females exhibit a few morphological differences from C. hesperidum. The species of Coccus from Macaranga appear to be parthenogenetic because no male nymphs or adults have been found, despite extensive collecting.

Biological Data on Anovia punica Gordon (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), a Predator of Crypticerya multicicatrices Kondo & Unruh (Hemiptera: Monophlebidae).

The coccinellid beetle Anovia punica Gordon (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Noviini) is an important predator of the Colombian fluted scale, Crypticerya multicicatrices Kondo & Unruh (Hemiptera: Monophlebidae). In order to gather information on the biological traits of A. punica, we conducted a series of studies, including of the developmental time of each life history stage, estimation of life table parameters, and predation rates under laboratory conditions [25.1 ± 1.6°C, with 70.5 ± 7.3% RH, and natural light regime, approx. 12:12 (L:D) h]. Developmental stages of A. punica were categorized as follows: egg stage, four larval instars, prepupal instar, pupal instar, and adult. Developmental time from egg to adult emergence averaged 29.41 ± 1.85 days, and 47.6% of the eggs developed to adulthood. Female and male survival was 94.42 and 90 days, respectively. Life table parameters show that one female of A. punica is replaced by 86 females (R 0), the intrinsic growth rate (r m ) was 0.1115, the average generation time (T) was 40 days, and the doubling time (D t ) was 6.2 days. The life table parameters suggest that A. punica can be used as a potential predator of C. multicicatrices and, more importantly, provided baseline information for a mass-rearing protocol. This is the first detailed study on the biology of A. punica that reports the potential of this predator as a biological control agent for scale insects of the tribe Iceryini.

New Faunistic Records of Armoured Scale Insects of Southern Iran (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

ABSTRACT As a result of recent field work in southern Iran from 2012 to 2016, twenty species of armoured scale insects were collected, representing two subfamilies (Aspidiotinae and Diaspidinae) and 4 tribes including Aspidiotini (8 species in 5 genera), Diaspidini (4 species in 2 genera), Leucaspidini (5 species in 4 genera) and Parlatoriini (3 species in 1 genus). The species Diaspidiotus gigas (Thiem and Gerneck), is illustrated and redescribed from Iran for the first time. In addition, four species are reported and redescribed from south of Iran for the first time: Aspidiotus nerii Bouché, Diaspidiotus armenicus Borchsenius, Leucaspis pusilla Löw, Melanaspis louristana Balachowsky and Kaussari.

The change of depository of a collection of scale insects by Ryoichi Takahashi (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha).

Ryoichi Takahashi (1898-1963) was a Japanese entomologist with considerable expertise on the Sternorrhyncha of the Far East and southern Asia. Most of his early articles were in Japanese, the first being published in 1916; but later he also wrote many articles in English. At first he published mainly on aphids (Aphidomorpha) and whiteflies (Aleyrodomorpha). His first article on scale insects did not appear until 1928, describing species from Formosa (Taiwan), where he worked at the Government Agricultural Research Institute. He produced a further 73 articles on scale insects (García et al. 2017). In total, he published almost 420 articles according to Ito and Sorin (1963).

A newly recognised Australian endemic species of Austrolecanium Gullan & Hodgson 1998 (Hemiptera: Coccidae) from Queensland.

Austrolecanium cryptocaryae Lin & Cook sp. n. is described based on adult female morphology and DNA sequences from mitochondrial and nuclear loci. This Australian endemic species was found on the underside of leaves of Cryptocarya microneura (Lauraceae) in Queensland. All phylogenetic analyses of four independent DNA loci and a concatenated dataset show that A. cryptocaryae is monophyletic and closely related to A. sassafras Gullan & Hodgson, the type species of Austrolecanium Gullan & Hodgson. The adult female of A. cryptocaryae is described and illustrated and a table is provided of the characters that differ among adult females of the three species of Austrolecanium currently recognised (A. cappari (Froggatt), A. cryptocaryae sp. n. and A. sassafras).

Amendments to some scale insect names (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccomorpha).

The following scale insect specific names need gender changes to agree with their genus group names in the current printed catalogues and in ScaleNet, a database of the scale insects (García Morales et al. 2016). This action is taken to agree with Article 31.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1999).

A New Species of Paracoccus Ezzat and McConnell (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) from Southern Brazil.

The worldwide mealybug genus Paracoccus Ezzat & McConnell (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) has eight described Neotropical species, including two species known from Brazil. In this article, we describe a third species from Brazil: Paracoccus galzerae Pacheco da Silva & Kaydan sp. n., based on the morphology of adult females collected on the roots of Conyza bonariensis (Asteraceae) in vineyards in Bento Gonçalves City, Rio Grande do Sul. A revised identification key including the new species is provided for the Neotropical region.

The Vine Mealybug Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) Damaging Vineyards in Brazil.

In the last decade, the incidence of mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in vineyards has increased, especially on crops grown under plastic covering, in the Serra Gaúcha region of southern Brazil where the major Brazilian wineries are concentrated. Eggs, nymphs, and female adults were collected in two highly infested vineyards in Bento Gonçalves City, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Mealybugs were identified by morphological and molecular techniques as the vine mealybug Planococcus ficus (Signoret). This is a principal mealybug pest of vineyards worldwide, and this is the first record of damage from this species in Brazil.