Coccus hesperidum Linnaeus

(Fig. 18, Plate 2B, distribution map Fig. 89I)

Coccus hesperidum Linnaeus, 1758: 455 .

Field characteristics: Live adult female elongate oval to broadly oval, either flat or slightly convex; generally pale green to brown mature specimens with darker brown patches and speckles, particularly across body at widest part; also with a small white wax patch at each spiracular cleft. Stigmatic clefts small but distinct.

Microscopic diagnosis: Body of slide-mounted adult female elongate oval to oval, with distinct stigmatic clefts. Anal cleft of moderate depth.

Dorsum. Derm membranous in young females, old females with a few small, pale areolations. Setae each with parallel sides, more-or-less bluntly pointed, scattered throughout. Pores of 2 types: (i) indistinct circular flat pores, possibly with a finely granulate surface, present throughout; and (ii) areolations (not shown in illustration), each containing a minute microduct, present throughout. Preopercular pores slightly larger than type (i) simple pores, present in a scattered group anterior to anal plates and extending forwards to first abdominal segment. Tubular ducts, each with a long thin outer ductule with small terminal gland, sometimes very sparsely present submarginally. Duct tubercles present submarginally. Anal plates together quadrate, each with 4 subterminal or terminal setae. Anal ring with 6 setae.

Margin. Marginal setae each typically with flattened, fimbriate apex, but some apices can appear pointed (depending on their orientation); with 8‒14 setae present on each side between anterior and posterior stigmatic clefts. Stigmatic clefts developed, rather shallow, each containing 3 (rarely 4) stigmatic setae, each median seta longest, generally slightly curved, with a blunt apex.

Venter. Derm entirely membranous. Pregenital disc-pores usually each with 10 loculi, present in a sparse group around anogenital fold and mediolaterally on preceding 1 or 2 segments. Spiracular disc-pores each with 5 loculi, present in narrow band between each spiracle and margin. Ventral tubular ducts of 1 type, each with a well-developed terminal gland, present in a distinct pattern: with a small group just mesad to each procoxa, a larger group mesad to each mesocoxa and usually extending into median area of mesothorax, and a few present laterally between meso- and metacoxa. Three pregenital segments each with a pair of long setae; also with a pair of long setae and 1 or 2 pairs of short setae between antennal bases, and with smaller setae present rather sparsely throughout. Antennae each with 7 segments. Legs well developed, each with a distinct tibio-tarsal articulatory sclerosis; each claw without a denticle; claw digitules both broad; tarsal digitules longer than claw digitules.

Distribution: Coccus hesperidum is a cosmopolitan species; in Iran, it is found in Elborz, Esfahan, Fars, Gilan, Golestan, Khouzestan, Markazi, and Mazandaran, Sistan & Balouchestan, Tehran, Yazd provinces (Moghaddam 2017).

Host-plants: The scale is highly polyphagous; in Iran, it has been found on Nerium oleander ( Apocynaceae); Ilex sp. ( Aquifoliaceae); Yucca baccata ( Asparagaceae); Gynura aurantiaca ( Asteraceae); Diospyros kaki ( Ebenaceae); Alhagi camelorum, Cercis siliquastrum and Robinia pseud-acacia ( Fabaceae); Castanea sativa ( Fagaceae); Saintpaulia shumensis (Geshneriaceae); Laurus nobilis ( Lauraceae); Lycopodium clavatum ( Lycopodiaceae); Punica granatum ( Lythraceae); Ficus benjamina, F. carica and Morus alba ( Moraceae); Cyclamen sp. ( Myrsinaceae); Mirabilis jalapa ( Nyctaginaceae); Peperomia magnoliifolia ( Piperaceae); Armeniaca vulgaris ( Rosaceae); Citrus spp. including C. aurantium ( Rutaceae); Acer circinatum ( Sapindaceae), and Ulmus campestris ( Ulmaceae) (Moghaddam 2013).

Economic importance: Coccus hesperidum is an agricultural pest in Iran, particularly on commercial greenhouse crops.

Natural enemies: In Iran, a large number of parasitoid wasps ( Hymenoptera) attack C. hesperidum, including Coccophagus lycimnia (Walker) ( Aphelinidae); and Blastothrix sericea (Dalman), Encyrtus aurantii (Geoffroy), E. lecaniorum Mayr, Metaphycus angustifrons Compere, M. claviger (Timberlake), Microterys ericeri Ishii, M. hortulanus Erdös, and M. nietneri (Motschulsky) ( Encyrtidae) (Davoodi et al. 2002, 2003, 2004; Lotfalizadeh 2010).