Data from: A newly recognised species that has been confused with the global polyphagous pest scale insect, Coccus hesperidum Linnaeus (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae)

Coccus hesperidum L. (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae), the type species of the soft scale genus Coccus L., the family Coccidae and the whole of the scale insects (Coccoidea), is a cosmopolitan plant pest. Using DNA sequence data and morphological comparisons, we determine that there is a distinct species that is morphologically very similar to C. hesperidum. Here, we describe the species as Coccus praetermissus Lin & Tanaka sp. n., based on adult female specimens from Australia, Malaysia and Thailand. The adult female of C. praetermissus sp. n. differs from C. hesperidum in having dorsal setae with bluntly rounded tips, whereas they are sharply pointed in C. hesperidum. A detailed description of the newly recognised species is provided, incorporating adult female morphology and DNA sequences from mitochondrial and nuclear loci. Our examination of slides from The Natural History Museum, London, and several Australian institutions indicates that C. praetermissus sp. n. has been confused sometimes with C. hesperidum s. s. These findings have potential relevance to plant biosecurity and quarantine because C. hesperidum is cosmopolitan whereas C. praetermissus sp. n., which is also polyphagous and the two species can share many host plants, currently appears to be more geographically restricted. Additionally, there is deep genetic divergence within C. praetermissus sp. n. that might indicate that it is a cryptic species complex, but wider geographic sampling is required to test this possibility.

Coccus hesperidum L.（半翅目Hemiptera：蚧亚目Coccomorpha：蚧科Coccidae）是软蚧属Coccus L.、蚧科乃至整个蚧总科（Coccoidea）的模式种，亦是一种广布性植物害虫。本研究通过DNA序列数据与形态学比对，发现了一种形态上与C. hesperidum极为相似的独立物种。基于采自澳大利亚、马来西亚和泰国的雌成虫标本，我们将该新种正式命名为Coccus praetermissus Lin & Tanaka sp. n.。C. praetermissus sp. n.的雌成虫与C. hesperidum的区别在于：其背刚毛顶端钝圆，而C. hesperidum的背刚毛顶端尖锐。本研究为该新认定物种提供了详细描述，涵盖雌成虫形态学特征以及线粒体与核基因位点的DNA序列信息。通过对伦敦自然历史博物馆及澳大利亚多家科研机构的玻片标本进行检视，我们发现C. praetermissus sp. n.曾多次被误鉴定为狭义C. hesperidum（C. hesperidum s. s.）。上述研究结果对植物生物安全与检疫具有潜在参考价值：C. hesperidum为广布性物种，而C. praetermissus sp. n.同样为多食性类群，二者可共享诸多寄主植物，但目前C. praetermissus sp. n.的地理分布范围相对局限。此外，C. praetermissus sp. n.内部存在显著的遗传分化，暗示其可能为一隐存种复合群，但需开展更大范围的地理采样以验证这一推测。