Cytogenetic and taxonomic studies of some legless mealybugs (Homoptera, Coccinea, Pseudococcidae)

Abstract

A new monotypic genus and species, Komodesia circuliplurima gen. et sp. n., from Flores Is. (Indonesia) and the new species, Antonina diversiglandulosa sp. n., from Southern Thailand are described and illustrated. Chromosomes of these species and also the ones of Antonina purpurea Signoret, 1872 and Antonina thaiensis Takahashi, 1942 are studied for the first time: 2n = 30, 20, 12 and 22+Bs correspondingly; the male embryos of all four species demonstrate Lecanoid paternal heterochromatinization of one haploid set of chromosomes. The karyotypes of three widely distributed species, Antonina pretiosa Ferris, 1953, Antonina graminis (Maskell, 1897) and Chaetococcus bambusae (Maskell, 1893), are studied based on material from other regions in comparison with previously published data. Photographs of the karyotypes are provided for the first time for all seven species. The terminological problems connected with the identification and naming of the three scale insect genetic systems, Lecanoid, Comstockioid and Diaspidoid, are discussed.

Chromosomal and reproductive features of some Oriental and Australasian scale insects (Homoptera, Coccinea)

“…The present paper continues a series of the author's publications on the cytogenetics and reproductive biology of scale insects from different regions of the world (Gavrilov 2004, 2007, Gavrilov and Kuznetsova 2007, Gavrilov and Trapeznikova 2007, 2008, 2010, Gavrilov-Zimin 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018a, b, Gavrilov-Zimin et al 2015.…”

“…Nine species from 3 genera of legless mealybugs were considered in that paper based on original and literature data and a significant variation of chromosome number was shown: 2n = 10, 12, 16, 20, 22+ Bs, 24, 24 + Bs, and 30. Antonina parazonata, studied here showed 2n = 30 as a species from the related monotypic genus Komodesia Gavrilov, 2016, namely, Komodesia circuliplurima Gavrilov, 2016. For the genus Antonina, such a high chromosome number was revealed for the first time.…”

“…Comments. Antonina vietnamensis has the same chromosome number as a closely related Oriental species of the genus, A. diversiglandulosa Gavrilov, 2016. A. vietnamensis was previously known from the type localities in Vietnam only. It is the first record of the species for Laos.…”

New Afrotropical scale insect pests (Homoptera: Coccinea) under glass in St Petersburg, Russia

“…The males or male larvae are absent in the studied population and were not recorded earlier by Williams & Pellizzari (1997). The cytogenetic study of young embryos also did not reveal the male embryos with Lecanoid paternal genome heterochromatinization which is the diagnostic character of the males in mealybugs (for the detailed explanation see, for example, Gavrilov & Trapeznikova, 2007or Gavrilov-Zimin, 2016. Therefore, we consider the species as parthenogenetic (thelytocous).…”

First illustration of chromosomes and genetic system of Lecanodiaspidinae (Homoptera, Coccinea, Asterolecaniidae s.l.)

“…Totally, nine cleavage stage embryos were found in the two dissected females (in addition to numerous embryos at later stages) and five of them demonstrated characteristic Lecanoid heterochromatinization of one haploid set of chromosomes (Fig. 2c–d) that suggests a Lecanoid genetic system and is known for many other neococcids (superfamily Coccoidea) (Nur 1980, Gavrilov 2007, Gavrilov-Zimin 2016). In particular, within Asterolecaniidae s.l., such a system (including both “Lecanoid” and “Comstockioid” variants of spermatogenesis) was demonstrated previously by Brown (1959) for Cerococcusquercus Comstock, 1882 and for Mycetococcusehrhorni (Cockerell, 1895) by Brown and McKenzie (1962) (both species are from the subfamily Cerococcinae).…”