Valid Names Results

Atrococcus alhagii is now Spilococcus alhagii (Hall, 1926) (Pseudococcidae: Spilococcus)

Nomenclatural History

• Pseudococcus alhagii Hall 1926a: 7. Type data: EGYPT: Masara on roots of Alhagi maurorum; collected 26.ii.1926 by W.J. Hall.. Lectotype, female, by subsequent designation (WilliaMo2007,40). Type depository: London: The Natural History Museum, England, UK; accepted valid name Illustr.
• Spilococcus alhagii (Hall, 1926); Ezzat 1960c: 43. change of combination
• Atrococcus bartangica Bazarov 1975: 52. Type data: TADZHIKISTAN: West Pamir, Yazgulemsk Ridge, on Scutellaria sp.. Holotype, female, Type depository: St. Petersburg: Zoological Museum, Academy of Science, Russia; junior synonym (discovered by DanzigGa2015, 238). Illustr.
• Atrococcus bartangicus Bazarov, 1975; Pellizzari & Williams 2013: 411. change of combination requiring emendation of specific epithet for agreement in gender
• Atrococcus alhagii (Hall, 1926); Danzig & Gavrilov-Zimin 2015: 238. change of combination

Common Names

• camelthorn mealybug AbdRabEv2021

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 9 | Genera: 10

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• EvansAb2023: pp.8-13 ( Adult (F) ) [Pseudococccidae of Egypt]
• MoghadWa2022: pp.124 ( Adult (F) ) [Spilococcus species in Iran]
• Suh2019a: pp.2-6 ( Adult (F) ) [mealybugs interepted in S. Korea]
• Moghad2013: pp.81 ( ) [Key to species of Spilococcus Ferris in Iran]
• Danzig1998: pp.119 ( Adult (F) ) [Palaearctic region] Key as: Atrococcus bartangicus
• Tang1992: pp.220 ( Adult (F) ) [Palaearctic & Oriental regions] Key as: Atrococcus bartangicus
• Tang1992: pp.262 ( Adult (F) ) [China]
• Bazaro1975: pp.52 ( Adult (F) ) [Central Asia] Key as: Atrococcus bartangicus

Remarks

• Systematics: Matile-Ferrero (1988) and Williams & Moghaddam (2007) concluded that there is considerable variation in number of pores and ducts in the adult female of this species, from several localities, namely Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
• Structure: Slide-mounted adult female narrowly to broadly oval. Anal lobe moderately developed. Antennae each with 8 segments. Legs well developed; hind tibia with a series of unusually large translucent pores on dorsal surface only; claw with a single minute denticle (Moghaddam & Watson, 2022) The results show that the antennae of S. alhagii could be differentiated in different instars based on their stucture, number of flagellomere, and sensillar distribution. Functional antennae of S. alhagii appear in first instar nymphs, adult females, and adult males as many scale insects. The antennae of first-instar nymphs comprise six segments, and each antenna has 62–71 sensilla of eight types, including sensilla basiconica (SB), one type of sensilla trichoidea (ST1), two types of sensilla companiform (SCa, sSCa), two types of sensilla coeloconica (SCo1, SCo2) and two types of sensilla chaetica (SCh1, SCh2). The antennae of adult females have eight segments, but each antenna has 164–188 sensilla of the same eight types as the first instar nymphs. The antennae of adult males are more developed, and each antenna contains ten segments and 670–725 sensilla of eleven types, including knobbed seta sensilla. (Ning, et al., 2024)
• General Remarks: Description and illustration of the adult female by Hall (1926a), Ezzat (1960c) and by Williams & Moghaddam (2007). Good description and illustration of the adult female of the junior synonym given by Bazarov (1975), and of the adult female given by Tang (1992).

Illustrations

Citations