Formicococcus phoenicis Moghaddam & Zarghami, 2024

Formicococcus phoenicis Moghaddam & Zarghami sp. nov. ( Figs 2C, 2D, 3)

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Material examined. Holotype. adult female: IRAN, left label: No. 3044 / IRAN / KHOUZESTAN, Ahvaz / Date. 21.viii.2023 / Alt. 200 m / 31˚19'07"N, 48˚45'24"E; right label: Holotype / Formicococcus phoenicis sp. nov. / Pl. root of Phoenix dactylifera / ( Arecaceae ) / Col. S. Zarghami / ( HMIM); holotype mounted on a slide together with 1 paratype adult female. Paratypes. same data as for holotype: 1 adult female on holotype slide; 4 adult females mounted singly on slides; and 2 adult females mounted together on one slide ( HMIM).

Etymology. The species epithet is based on the Latin genitive of the host-plant genus name, Phoenix .]

Appearance ( Figs 2C–D). Live specimens were found on the roots of date palms. Unmounted live specimens - adult female broadly oval, grey to red, dorsum of body lightly dusted with white mealy wax secretion; posterior end with marginal white wax filaments very slightly developed.

Diagnosis. Formicococcus phoenicis sp. nov. is most similar to F. tripurensis Williams, 2004 , in sharing the following characteristics: (i) circulus present; (ii) lacking oral collar tubular ducts on head and thorax; (iii) posterior abdominal segments VI and VII with marginal groups of oral collar tubular ducts; and (iv) stiff dorsal setae. However, F. phoenicis differs from the latter by the following features (characters states of F. tripurenis given in parentheses): (i) cerarii numbering 9 or 10 pairs (15 or 16 pairs); (ii) anal lobe cerarii each containing 7–9 conical setae and 4 or 5 auxiliary setae (3 conical setae and 0 auxiliary setae); (iii) apical, cisanal and obanal setae flagellate, long (all thick and relatively short); (iv) posterior abdominal segments with some medial ventral setae apparently wide, and blunt or pointed at the apex (medial setae on posterior abdominal segments usually thicker at bases than at apices). Formicococcus phoenicis is also similar to F. robustus (Ezzat & McConnel) in having: (i) circulus present; (ii) anal lobe cerarii each with more than 2 cerarian setae and auxiliary setae; and (iii) ventral oral collar tubular ducts absent from head and thorax. However, F. phoenicis differs from the latter by having (character states of F. robustus given in parentheses): (i) cerarii numbering 7 pairs on abdomen and only 2 on head (normally 18 pairs); (ii) ventral multilocular disc-pores present on abdominal segments IV–IX (V–IX); and (iii) posterior abdominal segments with some ventral setae thicker, and a few medial setae distorted and widening at apex (all setae flagellate).

Description. Holotype ♀ ( Fig. 3) and 7 paratypes ♀♀ (Slide-mounted). Body broadly oval, 2.81 (1.95– 3.07) mm long, 2.27 (1.31–2.52) mm wide. Eyes situated on margin, each 38 (32–40) μm wide. Anal lobes well developed, each with ventral surface bearing stout apical seta, 236 (196–240) μm long and about 8 μm wide at base; and anal lobe bar, 40 (30–60) μm long, extending forwards mainly from bar seta. Antennae each 316 (308–360) μm long, with 8 segments, apical segment longest, with 3 fleshy setae; the ratio of length for each segment: I – 60; II–48; III – 32; IV–24; V–24; VI–28, VII–32 and VIII–72 μm long. Legs well developed; hind leg segment lengths (in μm): trochanter+femur 270 (240–280), tibia+tarsus 220 (204 – 220); claw 41 (36–41), without denticle. Tarsal digitules slightly knobbed at apex, each 43(38– 43) μm long and smaller than claw; claw digitules apically knobbed, each 27(20–28) μm long, slightly longer than claw. Ratio of lengths of hind tibia+tarsus to trochanter+femur 1: 0.81 (0.22–0.81), and ratio of lengths of hind tibia to tarsus 1: 1.03 (1.16 – 1.03). Translucent pores present on anterior and posterior surfaces of hind coxa, and on posterior surface of hind tibia. Cerarii numbering 7 or 8 pairs on abdomen and 2 pairs on head; anal lobe cerarii (C 18) each containing 7 – 9 conical setae of different sizes, with 2 setae larger than others, 15–22 (20–26) μm long, and 4–6 (3–6) μm wide at base; 4–6 long auxiliary setae, each 25 – 33 (32–40) μm long; and about 35 (30–40) trilocular pores, all in a compact group; penultimate cerarii (C 17) each about 11 (10–19) conical setae, 0 auxiliary setae, and a compact group of trilocular pores. Cerarii on abdominal segment VI (C 16) each bearing 18 (16–18) conical setae; cerarii on abdominal segment V (C 15) each with 15 (13 – 16) conical setae; C 14 with 8 (7–9) conical setae; C 13 with 5 (4–5); and C 12 with 2 conical setae. Frontal and preocular cerarii each containing 2 (2 or 3) conical cerarii with flagellate tips. Circulus present, slightly sclerotised, 244 (192–244) μm wide, divided by intersegmental line. Both pairs of ostioles prominent, with inner edges of lips thick and heavily sclerotised, each lip bearing fairly crowded short setae and trilocular pores. Anal ring 88 (80–92) μm long and 76 (64–76) μm wide, with 1 row of pores on anterior half and 2 rows of pores on posterior half; bearing 6 setae, each about 88 (78–90) μm long.

Dorsum. with slender, stiff setae in various sizes present, each 6–24 μm long, almost all curved. Some setae with base associated with 1 trilocular pore. Trilocular pores numerous, each about 3 μm in diameter, present throughout. Bilocular pores, smaller than trilocular pores, scattered.

Venter. with some setae stiff, long, pointed, each 22–50 μm long; setae toward posterior end of abdomen usually thicker at base; distorted setae, each widening at apex or with pointed apex, usually numbering 1 pair on each of abdominal segments III–VII; also with 1 pair thick setae on head. Cisanal setae thick, each about 176 (110–176) μm long; obanal setae similar in shape to cisanal setae but slightly shorter, each about 120 (110–120) μm long. Multilocular disc- pores each about 5 μm in diameter, present posterior to vulva, and in medial and submedial to submarginal areas of abdominal segments IV–VII in double to triple rows at posterior edges of segments. Trilocular pores numerous and discoidal pores scattered throughout. Oral collar tubular ducts of 2 sizes: larger ducts, each about 7 μm long and 3 μm wide, present in groups near posterior margins of abdominal segments V and VI; and smaller ducts, each about 5 μm long, present in groups on marginal areas of segments V–VII.