Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Type: Article
Published: 2024-12-17
Page range: 125-133
Abstract views: 174
PDF downloaded: 11

New species of Coccidella Hambleton and Rhizoecus Kunckel d’Herculais from South America (Hemiptera: Rhizoecidae)

United States Department of Agriculture; Agricultural Research Service; Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center; Systematic Entomology Laboratory; 10300 Baltimore Ave; Beltsville; MD 20705; USA
Department of Biological Sciences; Towson University; 8000 York Rd; Towson; MD 21252; USA
Hemiptera Coccomorpha Coccoidea root mealybug Acropyga taxonomy trophobiosis

Abstract

Two new species of root mealybugs (Hemiptera: Rhizoecidae) from South America are described and illustrated based on the morphology of the adult females: Coccidella advena Schneider & LaPolla, sp. nov. from Peru and Rhizoecus peripotaro Schneider & LaPolla, sp. nov. from Guyana and Peru. Both species were collected with colonies of Acropyga ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) but only R. peripotaro was found to be trophobiotic; C. advena was ignored by the ants and is considered to be free-living. A guide to aid in identification is provided for each species.

 

References

  1. Choi, J. & Lee, S. (2022) Higher classification of mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) inferred from molecular phylogeny and their endosymbionts. Systematic Entomology, 47, 354–370. https://doi.org/10.1111/syen.12534
  2. Ferris, G.F. (1953) Atlas of the Scale Insects of North America, v. 6, The Pseudococcidae (Part II). Stanford University Press, Palo Alto, California, 506 pp.
  3. García Morales, M., Denno, B.D., Miller, D.R., Miller, G.L., Ben-Dov, Y. & Hardy, N.B. (2016) ScaleNet: a literature-based model of scale insect biology and systematics. Database, 2016, bav118. Accessible at: scalenet.info (accessed on 29 August 2024).
  4. Hambleton, E.J. (1946) Studies of hypogeic mealybugs. Revista de Entomologia, Rio de Janeiro, 17, 1‒77.
  5. Hambleton, E.J. (1974) Three new species of Rhizoecus (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) from New Zealand, with notes and redescription of others. New Zealand Journal of Zoology, 1, 147–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.1974.9517822
  6. Hodgson, C.J. (2012) Comparison of the morphology of the adult males of the rhizoecine, phenacoccine and pseudococcine mealybugs (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea), with the recognition of the family Rhizoecidae Williams. Zootaxa, 3291 (1), 1–79. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3291.1.1
  7. Kaydan, M., Konczné Benedicty, Z., Kondo, D., Ramos-Portilla, A.A. & Szita, É. (2018) The genus Coccidella Hambleton (Hemiptera: Rhizoecidae) with description of two new species. Neotropical Entomology, 47, 369–378. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-017-0566-3
  8. Kaydan, M., Konczné Benedicty, Z., Kondo, D., Ramos-Portilla, A.A. & Szita, É. (2019) Investigations on the genus Rhizoecus (Hemiptera: Rhizoecidae) with description of two new species from South America. Neotropical Entomology, 48, 809–821. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-019-00681-w
  9. Kozár, F. & Konczné Benedicty, Z. (2007) Rhizoecinae of the world. Plant Protection Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, 617 pp.
  10. LaPolla, J.S. (2004) Acropyga (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) of the world. Contributions of the American Entomological Institute, 33, 1–130.
  11. LaPolla, J.S. & Schneider, S.A. (2023) Trophobiosis between a new species of Acropyga (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) and new Neochavesia (Hemiptera, Xenococcidae) from Peru, and establishment of the Acropyga smithii species-group. ZooKeys, 1154, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1154.97578
  12. Prins, A. (1982) Review of Anoplolepis with reference to male genitalia, and notes on Acropyga (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). Annals of the South African Museum, 89, 215–247.
  13. Ramos-Portilla, A.A. & Caballero, A. (2016) Rhizoecus colombiensis Ramos & Caballero, a new species of hypogeal mealybug (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Rhizoecidae) and a key to the species of Rhizoecus from Colombia. Zootaxa, 4092 (1), 55–68. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4092.1.3
  14. Schneider, S.A. & LaPolla, J.S. (2020) Trophobiosis between a new species of Williamsrhizoecus (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Rhizoecidae) and Acropyga silvestrii (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Tanzania. Zootaxa, 4853 (2), 283–291. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4853.2.9
  15. Schneider, S.A. & LaPolla, J.S. (2022) A Neotropical complex of Ripersiella species (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha, Rhizoecidae) collected from the nests of Acropyga ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae). ZooKeys, 1123, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1123.90141
  16. Schneider, S.A., Sodano, J. & LaPolla, J.S. (2022) Distinguishing symbiotic partners of Acropyga ants from free-living soil inhabitants. Neotropical Entomology, 51, 641–647. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13744-022-00948-9
  17. Sirisena, U.G.A.I., Watson, G.W., Hemachandra, K.S. & Wijayagunasekara, H.N.P. (2013) A modified technique for the preparation of specimens of Sternorrhyncha for taxonomic studies. Tropical Agricultural Research, 24, 139–149.
  18. Smith, C.R., Oettler, J., Kay, A. & Deans, C. (2007) First recorded mating flight of the hypogeic ant, Acropyga epedana, with its obligate mutualist mealybug, Rhizoecus colombiensis. Journal of Insect Science, 7, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1673/031.007.1101
  19. Sodano, J., Oufiero, C.E., Schneider, S.A. & LaPolla, J.S. (2024) Scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) morphology is transformed under trophobiosis. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 117, 49–63. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saad033
  20. Tanaka, H. (2016) A new genus and species of Rhizoecidae (Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Coccomorpha) associated with Acropyga yaeyamensis (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Formicinae). ZooKeys, 616, 115–124. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.616.9442
  21. Williams, D.J. & Granara de Willink, M.C. (1992) Mealybugs of Central and South America. CAB International, Wallingford, 635 pp.