Palaeolecanium bituberculatum

Palaeolecanium bituberculatum (Signoret) (Fig. 28, Plate 3A, distribution map Fig. 91H) Lecanium bituberculatum Signoret, 1873a: 414. Palaeolecanium bituberculatum (Signoret); Šulc 1908: 36. Field characteristics: Post-reproductive female short and oval, only moderately convex, with margins sloping. Dorsum with 2 pairs of knob-like tubercles, anterior tubercles more prominent and larger than posterior ones; the latter sometimes weakly developed, with a longitudinal carina on mid-dorsum; brown (Kosztarab & Kozár 1988). Microscopic diagnosis: Slide-mounted young adult female body broadly oval, but almost circular at maturity. Stigmatic clefts absent. Anal cleft relatively short. Dorsum. Derm membranous in young specimens, becoming mildly sclerotized at maturity, no sclerotized crescent anterior to anal plates. Setae entirely absent. Pores of 2 types, scattered throughout: (i) a small, apparently bilocular pore with an inner filament, and (ii) a small simple pore (not illustrated). Preopercular pores large and slightly sclerotized, with a granular surface, variable in size; present in a narrow band extending from anal plates to about prothorax or head. Tubular ducts of 2 types present: (i) a duct with a short, broad, outer ductule, a deep cup-shaped invagination and with small terminal gland, present throughout; and (ii) larger ducts, present in very sparse submarginal area. Anal plates together quadrate, each with 1 spinose seta on inner margin and 3 apical or subapical setae. Anal ring bearing 6–8 setae. Margin. Marginal setae each sharply spinose, straight or curved, those on either side of anal cleft slightly longer; with 6–12 setae on each side between anterior and posterior stigmatic areas. Stigmatic setae differentiated, thicker than marginal setae and not as sharp; median seta slightly longer and blunter than lateral setae. Venter. Derm completely membranous. Pregenital disc-pores mostly each with 10 loculi, present around anogenital fold and anteriorly on preceding abdominal segments, a few also present mesad to each coxa (with 0–3 laterad to each metacoxa) and antennal bases. Spiracular disc-pores each with 5 loculi, present in a band 1 pore wide between each spiracle and margin, and with 1 or 2 disc-pores present more medially. Microducts restricted to a fairly broad band just mesad to submarginal band of tubular ducts. Tubular ducts each with a long outer ductule and a well-developed terminal gland, present in a broad submarginal band; a few also present on head just posterior to labium, and between mouthparts and antennal bases. With 1 or 2 pregenital segments each with a pair of long setae; also with 1 pair of long and 1 pair of short setae between antennal bases; other setae scattered. Antennae each with 6–8 segments. Legs well developed; each tibia separate from tarsus, but without articulatory sclerosis; claws each with a denticle; claw digitules dissimilar, with one narrower than other and both slightly shorter than tarsal digitules. Distribution: Palaeolecanium bituberculatum is known from 37 countries in the Palaearctic region (García Morales et al. 2016); in Iran, it is found in Azarbaijan -e Garbi, Azarbaijan -e Sharghi, Kerman and Khorasan -e Jounobi provinces (Moghaddam 2013). Host-plants: The species has been recorded on host-plants in 10 genera belonging to five families, but mostly on Rosaceae (García Morales et al. 2016). In Iran, it has been recorded on Morus alba (Moraceae), and Crataegus azarolus, C. aronia and Malus domestica (Rosaceae) (Moghaddam 2013). Economic importance: Not of any economic importance in Iran. Natural enemies: The parasitoid wasp Coccophagus lycimnia Walker (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) has been recorded from P. bituberculatum in Iran (Lotfalizadeh et al. 2014).