Saissetia miranda

Saissetia miranda (Cockerell & Parrott in Cockerell) (Fig. 41, Plate 3 E-1 and E-2, distribution map Fig. 93L) Lecanium oleae mirandum Cockerell & Parrott in Cockerell, 1899a: 12. Saissetia oleae miranda (Cockerell & Parrott); Fernald 1903: 206. Saissetia miranda (Cockerell & Parrott); De Lotto 1969a: 419. Field characteristics: Adult females circular, highly convex; older specimens dark brown to black. Nymphs and young adult females with raised “H” pattern on dorsum, but this disappears in mature adult female. Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted adult female body circular, with shallow stigmatic clefts. Anal cleft moderately deep. Dorsum. Derm membranous in young females; dermal areolations well developed in older females, usually each areolation containing a microduct. Setae short, conical, sharply pointed, distributed throughout. Tubular ducts absent. Duct tubercles, each with an inner filamentous ductule, present in submarginal row. Preopercular pores variable in size, present in a group of 6‒13 pores anterior to anal plates. Anal plates together quadrate, each plate triangular, with a large discal seta in addition to 3 apical setae. Anal ring bearing 8 setae. Margin. Marginal setae usually with bifid or fimbriate apices; numbering 40−60 between anterior stigmatic clefts, and with about 17‒20 setae on each side between anterior and posterior stigmatic areas, also with 1‒3 simple setae on each side of anal cleft opening. Stigmatic clefts very shallow, each containing 3 unequal setae; median seta longer than lateral setae, slightly bent, with a blunt apex. Venter. Derm membranous. Pregenital disc-pores mostly each with 10 loculi, present around anogenital fold, and across all preceding abdominal segments; a few occasionally also present medially on metathorax. Spiracular disc-pores each with 5 loculi, present in 1 or 2 rows in each spiracular furrow. Microducts present throughout. Three pregenital segments each with a pair of long setae; also 1 pair of long and 3 pairs of short setae between antennal bases; other setae small and scattered. Tubular ducts of 1 type, present in submarginal zone, each duct possessing a narrow inner ductule and a flower-shaped terminal gland. Antennae each with 8 segments. Legs well developed, each with a tibio-tarsal articulation and articulatory sclerosis; claw without denticle; claw digitules both broad and shorter than narrow tarsal digitules. Distribution: Saissetia miranda is a species of African origin but is now known from 37 countries in the Afrotropical, Nearctic, Neotropical, Oriental and Palaearctic regions (García Morales et al. 2016). In Iran, it is an alien introduced species that has been found in Fars, Sistan & Balouchestan provinces (Moghaddam et al. 2015b). Host-plants: The species is polyphagous, having been recorded on host-plants in 59 genera belonging to 27 families (García Morales et al. 2016). In Iran, it has been found on Melia azadirachta (Meliaceae), Ficus carica and F. religiosa (Moraceae) (Moghaddam et al. 2015b). Economic importance: Recently, there have been some unofficial records of S. miranda causing serious damage on Ficus carica in the south and north of Iran. Natural enemies: None recorded in Iran.