Species: Dysmicoccus sp. nr. bispinosus
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Common name: None

Field Characters: We have been unable to find a description of the field characteristics of this species in the literature. Based on characteristics of slide-mounted adult female: with body elongate oval; ovisac ventral or absent; 17 pairs of thin wax filaments around perimeter of body; body covered by white mealy secretion. Present on roots, stems, and leaves of host.

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Habitus photo
when available 		jpg photomicrograph image of Dysmicoccus near bispinosus jpg image of Dysmicoccus sp. Nr. Bispinosus drawing
Validation characters: Head with 6 or fewer narrow oral-collar tubular ducts between antennae; ventral multilocular pores usually confined to posterior 3 abdominal segments; normally with discoidal pores near eye; without elongate setae on dorsum of segment VIII; cerarii with filamentous auxiliary setae; 17 pairs of cerarii; with 2 conical setae in each abdominal cerarius; without oral-rim tubular ducts.

Comparison: There has been considerable confusion about the identity of this species. Although Williams and Granara de Willink (1992) used a broad concept of the species, it is increasingly evident that true Dysmicoccus bispinosus (=D. texensis (Tinsley)) is confined to acacia in Mexico and that most material determined as D. bispinosus is one or more different species. The most reliable character distinguishing D. texensis from Dysmicoccus sp. nr. bispinosus seems to be the length of the hind tibia (for D. texensis 180-190µ and for D. sp. nr. bispinosus 205-240µ) and the hind tibia length/ hind tibia greatest width (for D. texensis 2.0-2.1 and for D. sp. nr. bispinosus 2.5-3.5). Other characters that sometimes are diagnostic are: hind femur length/ greatest hind femur width (for D. texensis 2.0-2.1 and for D. sp. nr. bispinosus 2.1-3.5); D. texensis lacks ventral multiloculars on abdominal segment V, whereas D. sp. nr. bispinosus often has at least 1 pore on this segment.

U.S. quarantine notes: This species is commonly taken in quarantine on different tropical plants, especially banana, from Central and South America. Several species of Dysmicoccus other than D. brevipes, D. boninsis, D. grassii, D. neobrevipes, and Dysmicoccus sp. nr. bispinosus have been taken in quarantine including: D. finitimus Williams (southern Asia), D. hambletoni Williams and Granara de Willink (Ecuador), D. lansii Williams (Philippines), D. lepelleyi (Betrem)(southern Asia), D. mackenziei Beardsley (Central America and Mexico on bromeliads), D. orchidum Williams (southern Asia on orchids), D. probrevipes (Morrison)(Central and South America); D. viatorius Williams (Philippines).

References: WilliaGr1992 (Figure 45 in WilliaGr1992 may be Dysmicoccus sp. near bispinosus; Figure 44 is Dysmicoccus texensis).

All references mentioning: Dysmicoccus sp. nr. bispinosus - None

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