Descriptions of all female stages of the maple mealybug, Phenacoccus aceris (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae), with notes on its biology

The adult female and all wingless nymphal stages of the maple mealybug, Phenacoccus aceris (Signoret), are redescribed and illustrated. The second-instar nymphs of both males and females produce a felt-like cover, which is secreted by numerous dorsal tubular ducts. A key is also provided to separate wingless immature stages of Ph. aceris, based on morphological features. The life cycle and biology of the mealybug on three different plant hosts, i.e., Acer negundo L., A. pseudoplatanus L. (Aceraceae) and Fraxinus excelsior L. (Oleaceae) over two years is presented and compared. Ph. aceris displayed similar developmental rates on all three host plants. Ph. aceris has one generation per year in Ankara, Turkey, and overwinters as third-instar females and male prepupae and pupae in hidden places on the trunk and branches of its host plants. The longest nymphal stage on all host plant species was the third-instar female and the male prepupa and pupa stage. In both sexes there were differences in the periods of occurrence of each developmental stage amongst years that may relate to variation in field temperatures

xTriticosecale Witm, seed size, drought, germination, seedling growth.

Effect of seed size (small, medium and large) on germination and seedling growth of triticale (xTriticosecale Witm. cv. Presto) at the different osmotic potential of NaCl and PEG solutions weredetermined in the present study. Germination tests were conducted under five osmotic potential levels (-0.45, -0.77, -1.03, -1.44 MPa, and Control) of PEG 6000 and NaCl. Germination percentage (%) at 4 and 8th days and also seedling growth traits such as root and shoot length (mm), dry root and shoot weight (mg), root : shoot length (R:S) ratio, and relative water content of shoot (RWC, %) were investigated inthis study. The results indicated that decreases in the osmotic potentials caused a reduction in germination percentage and seedling growth. It was seen that drought created by PEG 6000 had morenegative effects on germination and seedling growth than that of NaCl. In consequence, the total germinability and seedling growth were higher in large seeds rather than in small seeds in control solution and under osmotic stress. In addition, it was observed that seedlings obtained from larger seeds survived even at the lower osmotic potential of PEG and NaCl; whereas, seedling obtained from small seeds did not survive in the intensive stress

Ferenc Kozár – A dedicated and prolific worker on scale insects

At the XII Meeting of the International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies, delegates and coccidologists worldwide congratulate Dr Ferenc Kozár for his work on scale insects during over 40 years of concentrated study. Ferenc is well known for his contributions to economic and taxonomic work on scale insects. He entered the Agricultural University in Budapest, Hungary, in 1962, and then the University of Leningrad (now St Petersburg) and returned to Hungary where he has been employed as Research Scientist and then Head of the Department of Zoology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest until 1990. He then became Research Consultant, a position he has held since. His list of publications includes nine books and about 220 papers in scientific journals. He has described 13 new family-group names, 32 new genera, and about 175 new species. Much of this work has been done since 1990. We expect a steady flow of publications in the future

The genus Orthezia Bosc (Hemiptera: Ortheziidae) in Turkey, with 2 new records

This study aimed to identify the ground ensign scale insects in 5 provinces (Ağrı, Bitlis, Hakkari, Iğdır, and Van) in eastern Anatolia, Turkey. In order to achieve this goal, Ortheziidae species were collected from natural and cultivated plants in the 5 provinces listed above between 2005 and 2008. A total of 3 species were found, among them 2 species ( Orthezia maroccana Kozár & Konczné Benedicty and Orthezia yashushii Kuwana) that are new records for the Turkish scale insect fauna

NEW AND LITTLE KNOWN SCALE INSECT SPECIES (HEMIPTERA: COCCOIDEA) IN TURKEY

Scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) are notorious pests, especially of perennial plants. They are serious pests of fruit and nut trees, ornamental shade trees and shrubs, forest trees, greenhouse and indoor plantings. In the present study, new data are given for 13 species of scale insects from Turkey as follows: Coccidae (1 sp.), Cerococcidae (1 sp.), Diaspididae 2 spp.), Pseudococcidae (8 spp.) and Rhizoecidae (1 sp.). Chorizococcus malabadiensis Kaydan sp. n. is described and illustrated as a new species and 8 species are recorded for the first time from Turkey

Scale insect (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha) survey of soil samples from southern Asia with description of two new species of Rhizoecidae

Seventeen species of Ortheziidae, Rhizoecidae and Pseudococcidae (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) were extracted from East and South Asian soil sample collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum. Among 1080 soil samples almost 100 included scale insect specimens. Two new species of the family Rhizoecidae, Rhizoecus muranyii Kaydan sp. n. and Ripersiella danyii Kaydan et Konczné Benedicty sp. n. are described and illustrated, and identification keys of East and South Asian Rhizoecus and Ripersiella species are provided

Investigations on the Genus Rhizoecus (Hemiptera: Rhizoecidae) with Description of Two New Species from South America

Neotropical species of the scale insect genus Rhizoecus Kunckel d'Herculais (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Rhizoecidae) found in soil sample material of the Hungarian Natural History Museum were studied. Two new Rhizoecus species, Rhizoecus kontschani Kaydan and Konczne Benedicty sp. n., and Rhizoecus granaradewillinkae Kaydan and Szita sp. n., are described and illustrated based on the adult females. Also, the adult females of Rhizoecus keysensis Hambleton and Rhizoecus pseudocacticans Hambleton are illustrated. An identification key and new additional locality records for the currently known Rhizoecus species are provided

Integrative taxonomy methods reveal high mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) diversity in southern Brazilian fruit crops.

The Serra Gaúcha region is the most important temperate fruit-producing area in southern Brazil. Despite mealybugs (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) infesting several host plants in the region, there is a lack of information about the composition of species damaging different crops. A survey of mealybug species associated with commercial fruit crops (apple, persimmon, strawberry and grapes) was performed in Serra Gaúcha between 2013 and 2015, using both morphology and DNA analyses for species identification. The most abundant species were Pseudococcus viburni (Signoret), found on all four host plant species, and Dysmicoccus brevipes (Cockerell), infesting persimmon, vines and weeds. The highest diversity of mealybug species was found on persimmon trees, hosting 20 different taxa, of which Anisococcus granarae Pacheco da Silva & Kaydan, D. brevipes, Pseudococcus sociabilis Hambleton and Ps. viburni were the most abundant. A total of nine species were recorded in vineyards. Planococcus ficus (Signoret) and Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti) were observed causing damage to grapes for the first time. A single species, Ps. viburni, was found associated with apples, while both Ps. viburni and Ferrisia meridionalis Williams were found on strawberry. Four of the mealybug species found represent new records for Brazil

Mealybugs (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha, Pseudococcidae) on parasitic plants (Loranthaceae) in Indonesia with description of a new species and a new country record

Parasitic plants have been known to be attacked by insect pests since ancient times. However, little is known about the mealybug (Hemiptera, Coccomorpha, Pseudococcidae) fauna associated with them. A series of surveys of mealybugs found on Loranthaceae, a semi-parasitic plant family, was conducted in several places in Bengkulu Province, southern Sumatra, Indonesia. In the study, 55 mealybug specimens were collected, consisting of eight species belonging to five genera, namely Chorizococcus McKenzie (1 species), Dysmicoccus Ferris (2 species), Ferrisia Fullaway (1 species), Planococcus Ferris (3 species) and Pseudococcus Westwood (1 species). Chorizococcus ozeri Zarkani & Kaydan, sp. nov. is new to science, whilst Planococcus bagmaticus Williams represents the first record in Indonesia. In addition, the mealybugs Dysmicoccus lepelleyi (Betrem), Dysmicoccus zeynepae Zarkani & Kaydan, Ferrisia dasylirii (Cockerell), Planococcus lilacinus (Cockerell) and Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi Gimpel & Miller are newly recorded from plants of the family Loranthaceae. Figures and illustrations of mealybug species with a taxonomic key to Asian Chorizococcus and a new country record based on morphological characters are also updated