Saissetia coffeae

Saissetia coffeae (Walker) (Fig. 40, distribution map Fig. 93K) Lecanium coffeae Walker, 1852: 1079. Saissetia coffeae (Walker); Williams 1957: 314. Field characteristics: Live adult female at maturity convex dorsally and flattened ventrally, shiny tan to light brown, with many evenly spaced light dots over most of dorsal surface. 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 oval; stigmatic clefts very shallow. Anal cleft moderately deep. Dorsum. Derm membranous on young female; becoming heavily sclerotized at maturity, with many small oval areolations, usually each areolation containing a microduct. Setae short, spinose, distributed throughout. Pores of 2 types: (i) circular simple pores; and (ii) micropores, each with a fine filament; both scattered throughout. Preopercular pores circular, variable in size, present in a group of 6‒13 anterior to anal plates. Duct tubercles, each with an inner filamentous ductule, few, present in submarginal row. Tubular ducts absent. 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 of 2 sizes, both with slightly expanded and more-or-less fimbriate apices; each side with 12‒18 setae between anterior and posterior stigmatic areas, also with 1‒3 longer, simple setae on each side of anal cleft opening. Stigmatic clefts each with 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, numerous around anogenital fold and across all preceding abdominal segments; a few occasionally present medially on metathorax and with small groups laterad to each coxa. Spiracular disc-pores each with 5 loculi, present in bands each about 2 or 3 pores wide between each spiracle and margin, and a few between each spiracle and nearby coxa. Tubular ducts of 3 types: (i) duct with wide outer and inner ductules and a large terminal gland, present in inner areas of submarginal band of ducts; (ii) small duct with a short outer ductule and a short filamentous inner ductule, without an enlarged terminal gland, present in outer areas of submarginal band of ducts; and (iii) duct with a fairly narrow outer ductule, a much thinner inner ductule and a large terminal gland, present along inner edge of submarginal band of ducts; submarginal band of ducts extending from head to last abdominal segment but absent from stigmatic areas. Three pregenital segments each with a pair of long setae; also 2 pairs of long and 2‒4 pairs of short setae between antennal bases; other setae small and scattered. Microducts present throughout. Antennae each with 8 segments. Legs well developed, each with a tibio-tarsal articulation and a small articulatory sclerosis; claw without denticle; claw digitules both broad, shorter than tarsal digitules. Distribution: Saissetia coffeae is a species of African origin but is now cosmopolitan. In Iran, this alien species has been recorded in Gilan province (Kaussari 1957). Host-plants: The species is highly polyphagous, having been recorded on host-plants in 313 genera belonging to 112 families (García Morales et al. 2016). In Iran, it has been found on Euonymus sp. (Celastraceae) and Cycas sp. (Cycadaceae) (Farahbakhsh 1961). Economic importance: Not of any economic importance in Iran. Natural enemies: None recorded in Iran.