Valid Names Results

Physokermes hellenicus Kozár & Gounari, 2012 (Coccidae: Physokermes)

Nomenclatural History

• Physokermes hellenicus Kozár & Gounari 2012: 25-37. Type data: GREECE: Peloponnesus, Mainalo Mountain, on Abies cephalonica, 4/28/2010, by S. Gounan. Holotype, female, by original designation Type depository: Budapest: Plant Protection Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Hungary; accepted valid name
• Physokermes hellenica Kozár & Gounari, 2012; Ülgentürk, et al. 2020: 3. misspelling of species epithet

Common Names

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Foes:

Families: 9 | Genera: 15

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• DuroviSpUl2024: pp.490-491 ( Adult (F) First instar Second instar (F) Second instar (M) ) [Eulecaniinae in Ankara]
• KozarGoHo2012: pp.26 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to female Physokermes species found in the western Palaearctic Region]

Remarks

• Systematics: The adult females of P. hellenicus differs from those of all other known Physokermes species in the absence of multilocular disc pores mid-ventrally on all abdominal segments and in the presence of a group of multilocular pores on the dorsum of each anal lobe. P. hemicryphus has multilocular disc pores mid-ventrally on the last six abdominal segments but lacks multilocular disc pores on the dorsum of the anal lobes; on P. inopinatus, the multilocular disc pores on the abdomen and thorax do not form longitudinal mediolateral bands, and multilocular disc pores are absent from the dorsum of the anal lobes; P. piceae has multilocular disc pores mid-ventrally on the last seven abdominal segments but they do not form longitudinal mediolateral bands on the abdomen and thorax and there are no multilocular disc pores on the dorsum of the anal lobes. (Kozár, et al., 2012) The second-instar female nymphs of P. hemicryphus differ from those of P. piceae in having only 3 pairs of loculate pores (each with 6 loculi) on the dorsal margin of the thorax, whereas the nymphs of P. piceae has 65-125 pores in this position. The dorsal pores on P. hellenicus have 5 loculi and the total on each side is about 10, i.e. intermediate between P. hemicryphus and P. piceae. (Kozár, et al., 2012) The male of P. hellenicus is very similar to that of P. piceae (Schrank) but differs as follows (character states on P. piceae in brackets): (i) apparent absence of a mid-cranial ridge dorsally (present but short); (ii) 0 or 1 hs seta laterad to ventral mid-cranial ridge (3 or 4), and (iii) apparent absence of tergites on anterior abdominal segments (present). (Kozár, et al., 2012) Stathas et al. (2011) recorded Physokermes hemicryphus and P. inopinatus on the Taygetos Mountain, in Greece based on phenological studies. P. inopinatus was first recorded by Stathas and Kozár (2010). Kozár et al. (2012) found that a new species, P. hellenicus, a very similar species to P. hemicryphus, exists in Greece, based on morphological analysis. The existence of those three different species of Physokermes genus, as well as in northern regions of Greece, based only on morphological characters, means that the genetic variability among Physokermes populations in Greece is extremely high. This is not supported however with results obtained by the molecular analysis. The average pairwise genetic distance detected does not sufficiently document the existence of different species, but of variability within the species, Physokermes hellenicus . (Papanastasiou, et al., 2018)
• Structure: Body of young pre-reproductive female oval to almost round, becoming bud-like or kidney-shaped; heavily sclerotized and dark brown when mature; about 1–2 mm in diameter. Antennae variously reduced on different specimens, segmentation generally indistinct but, when visible, probably 3 segmented. Margin not demarcated; marginal and stigmatic spines absent but eyespot probably on margin. Anal cleft shallow. Even on youngest specimens, dorsum apparently significantly wider than venter; unsclerotized in younger specimens, becoming heavily sclerotized with maturity. (Kozár, et al., 2012)
• Biology: This species was found to have a third-instar female nymph and it is though to the fir first time that it has been found and described in this family. (Kozár, et al., 2012) The adult females feed vigorously between the end of May and the end of July, depending on the weather. Adult males appear from the end of May to the end of June and ovulation occurs from the end of June onwards, although the adult females continue to feed and produce honeydew. Each female lays between 100 and 230 eggs which are retained within a cavity beneath her body. Once ovulation is complete by the end of July, feeding stops and the adult females die. Crawlers are first noted towards the end of July and disperse and settle on the needles of the new growth where they remain until the end of August or into September. The male nymphs remain on the needles for the rest of their development but the second-instar female nymphs disperse to the nodes of the current year’s growth where they settle and start feeding. The honeydew droplets produced by this stage are small and are not utilized by the bee keepers. The second moult of the female nymphs, to the third-instar nymph, occurs about the first week in November and they overwinter protected under the scales of the new growth nodes. During this time they continue to feed slowly and grow, finally attaining full adult size in May of the following year. The male nymphs, which remain on the fir needles, secrete their waxy test about the beginning of November. In the Spring, they moult twice through the prepupal and pupal stages before becoming adult in May. (Kozár, et al., 2012)
• Economic Importance: Honeydew production by P. hellenicus is seasonal. The adult females feed vigorously between the end of May and the end of July, depending on the weather, and each procures large droplets of honeydew. At this time, beekeepers transfer their hives to fir forests to take advantage of this bounty. Although the beneficial role of Physokermes spp. is highly recognized in Greek apiculture, in several countries (i.e., Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the United States), they are considered important economic pests due to the severe direct (i.e., injuries of plant tissues and suck of nutrients) or indirect (i.e., low aesthetic value of trees by the massive honeydew production, saprophytic sooty mold development, and hindrance of photosynthesis) damages they cause to fir and spruce trees, Picea spp. (Pinales: Pinaceae), in urban and forest areas (Papanastasiou, et al., 2018)
• General Remarks: Detailed description and illustrations in Kozar, et al., 2012.

Illustrations

Citations