Acanthococcus salicis ( Borchsenius, 1938 )

Gavrilov-Zimin, I. A. & Kurochkin, A. S., 2019, Millennial zoological mystery of medieval Persian scientists, Zoosystematica Rossica (China) 28 (2), pp. 201-227 : 215-219

Acanthococcus salicis ( Borchsenius, 1938)

(Figs 13–14)

Borchsenius, 1938: 135 ( Eriococcus ), 1949: 345 ( Acanthococcus ); Danzig, 1980: 208 (lectotype designation); Kozár et al., 2013: 155.

= A. turanicus Matesova, 1967: 1197 , syn. nov.; Kozár et al., 2013: 142 (incorrect placement under synonymy of A. populi Matesova, 1967 ).

Material. Lectotype and 2 paralectotypes of A. salicis (on the same slide): females, Russia, Primorsk Terr., Guberovo Station, on willow, 25.VI.1934 (Sh. V. Prun leg.), 3 females; 3 paralectotypes A. salicis with the same data, but on 3 separate slides. Holotype of A. turanicus : female, Kazakhstan: Alma Ata Prov., Chulak-Tau Ridge, Kzyl-Aus Gorge , on Salix wilhelmsiana , 09. VI.1964 (G. Matesova leg.); 3 paratypes of A. turanicus : females with the same data, but on 3 separate slides; 3 paratypes of A. turanicus : females with the same data, but Chilik Vill., on Salix sp. , 8. V.1963 ( T. Makarov leg.), on 2 separate slides; 3 paratypes of A. turanicus : females with the same data, but Chilik Vill., on Salix sp. , 3.VII.1965 (G. Matesova leg.), on 3 separate slides; 5 paratypes of A. turanicus : females,

Fig. 12. General morphology of Acanthococcus populi (paratype).

Taldy-Kurgan Prov.: Taldy-Kurgan, on 4 slides, on Salix coerulea , 17. V.1955 (G. Matesova leg.), on 4 slides; paratype of A. turanicus : female, Tajikistan: Pamir, Bari- Tau Gorge, on Salix sp. , VIII.1958 (E. Borovkov leg).

Other material. K 1495, Kazakhstan: Kyzylorda Prov. : 3.35 km SE of Tartogay Vill., 44°24´38.0´´N, 66°16´35.1´´E, on trunk of Populus euphratica , 9. V. 2018 (A.S. Kurochkin leg.), 2 females . Series of females with the same collecting data in acetoethanol. Russia: Khabarovsk Terr. : Khabarovsk Distr., on Salix sp. , 27. V.1959 (collector unknown), 3 females ; Primorsk Terr.: Ussuriysk, valley of Komarovka [Suputinka] Riv. , on Salix sp. , 11. VI.1963 (E. Danzig leg.), 2 females ; Ussuriysk , on Salix sp. , 27. V.1950 (B. Chumakova leg.), 2 females ; Guberovo Station , on willow, 25. VI.1934 (Sh. V. Prun leg.), 2 females .

Dried colonies of females from Russia. Three series of females in ethanol from Russia. One series of females in acetoethanol from Kazakhstan.

Morphological description. Adult female. Body egg-shaped, up to 4 mm long, dark-bordeaux in life, located inside of yellow-white wax sac, which totally covers female and oviposited eggs. Antennae 7-segmented, each about 250 µm long. Legs with all segments normally developed, without translucent pores; claw with denticle; claw digitules with clavate apices. Anal apparatus with outer row of spinulae, incomplete inner row of pores and eight long setae, each about two times as long as diameter of anal ring. Multilocular pores absent. Quinquelocular pores, each about 5 µm in diameter, scattered on all ventral surface of body, excluding marginal zone of ventral surface of head, thorax and anterior abdominal sternites. Oval discoidal pores (“cruciform pores” in some authors) each about 3 µm in diameter, forming Fig. 13. Colony of young adult females and larvae of Acanthococcus salicis on stem of Populus euphratica , attended by ants ( Kazakhstan: Kyzylorda Prov.).

Fig. 14. General morphology of Acanthococcus salicis (lectotype).

marginal band on ventral thorax and anterior abdominal sternites. Macrotubular ducts slightly differ in size: dorsal ducts, each about 20–25 µm long and 5–6 µm wide forming transverse rows and bands on tergites, excluding three posterior abdominal tergites, where ducts usually present in marginal zone only; ventral macrotubular ducts, each about 20 µm long and 5 µm wide, forming transverse rows or bands on abdominal sternites and scattered on thorax and head. Microtubular ducts each about 8 µm long and 1 µm wide, scattered on all dorsal surface of body. All conical setae more or less cylindrical, with blunt or slightly clavate apices; smaller conical setae, each about 20–25 µm long, forming transverse bands on all tergites; large conical setae (each about 30–50 µm long) present along margin of dorsum, 2–4 setae on each margin of each tergite (Fig. 14) and along dorsal midline. Flagellate setae of different sizes forming transverse rows on abdominal sternites and sparsely present on ventral surface of thorax and head. Numerous minute cuticular tubercles covering all dorsal surface of body.

Morphology of adult males and larvae unknown.

Taxonomic note. Kozár et al. (2013: 155) provided partially incorrect information on the types: “ Russia (Siberia, Guberoro), on Salix sp. , 25. VI.1934, by S. V. Brown” (see the correct data above). Probably, this information was simply copied from on-line database ScaleNet, which, unfortunately, is full of such kind of mistakes. Also, Kozár et al. (2013) incorrectly placed A. turanicus Matesova, 1967 under synonymy of A. populi Matesova, 1967 , probably in view of an occasional mistake during combining different species information in the book. These species clearly differ from each other in size and form of conical setae (see Key in Matesova, 1967 and new Key below). In reality, A. turanicus is a junior synonym of A. salicis ( Borchsenius, 1938) . The last two nominal species were not compared previously.

Ontogenesis and mode of life. The ontogenesis is similar with other species, discussed here (Fig. 9). Females form colonies on branches of different Salix spp. Here it is also noted from Populus euphratica ( Salicaceae ).

Ovoviviparous species with oviposition during June ( Matesova, 1967; Danzig, 1980).

Distribution. Turkey, Kazakhstan, Russia (Far

East), Mongolia, China.