Valid Names Results

Mycetococcus ligae Granara de Willink, 2023 (Asterolecaniidae: Mycetococcus)

Nomenclatural History

• Mycetococcus ligae Granara de Willink 2023: 9. Type data: ARGENTINA: Tucumán, Colalao del Valle, Tafí., on Phoradendron liga (Santalaceae), 7/7/2010, leg. J. Carrizo. Holotype, female, by original designation Type depository: Tucuman: Fundacion e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidade Nactional de Tucuman, Argentina; accepted valid name Illustr.

Common Names

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 2 | Genera: 2

Geographic Distribution

Keys

Remarks

• Systematics: Mycetococcus ligae shares with M. ehrhorni eight-shaped ducts and a caudal process. They are differentiated by (M. ehrhorni characters in parentheses, taken from Ferris 1955): 1) anal lobes with numerous long and stout dorsal and ventral setae (with short setae, two dorsally and three ventrally); 2) anal lobes strongly sclerotized forming part of the caudal process (forming two cones, one for each lobe, separated by an indentation); 3) with multilocular pores (9–10 locules) close to spiracles (with quinquelocular pores); and 4) areas formed by concentration of microspicules, small setae, and disk pores (areas absent). (Granara de Willink et al. 2023) See paper for additional comparisons with M. corticis and M. sinensis.
• Structure: Antennae and labium bisegmented; caudal process with numerous long and stout setae enveloping anal lobes; eight-shaped pores at the bases of narrow tubular ducts, present on dorsum and venter; with areas formed by concentrations of microspicules, small setae, and transverse and medial disk pores on ventral abdominal segments; anal ring with pores and setae. Body of the adult female completely covered by a felt-like structure with a cottony appearance. Slide-mounted: Body oval, elongated, length 1.2 (1.4–1.6) mm and width 0.9 (0.7–1.0) mm. Dermis membranous, except in the caudal process area formed by the last two strongly sclerotized abdominal segments on dorsum and venter. Legs absent. (Granara de Willink et al. 2023)
• Biology: Viviparous. Three first-instar nymphs were found inside a female. These asterolecaniids do not produce a pit; they were found on the leaves of their hosts. Unlike the known species in this genus, whose hosts belong to the Fagaceae, this species was found on a species of Santalaceae. (Granara de Willink et al. 2023).

Illustrations

Citations