''Physokermes'' are a
genus of
scale insects known as the bud scales. They are restricted to the
Holarctic,
[
] though ''Physokermes hemicryphus'' has been introduced to
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
.
Some species are plant pests.
Morphology
Pre-reproductive females are membranous and reddish-brown, once females begin to lay eggs they are globular or kidney-shaped become light to dark brown, and eventually heavily
sclerotized.
The adult females resemble the
bud of their coniferous hosts,
hence the name bud scale.
''Physokermes'' are difficult to identify to species, as only pre-reproductive females can be used.
Once females begin to
oviposit, their bodies become distorted and it is not possible to detect the morphological features necessary to identify them to species.
Species
There are 13 described
species in the genus ''Physokermes'':
*''
Physokermes coloradensis
''Physokermes'' are a genus of scale insects known as the bud scales. They are restricted to the Holarctic,
though ''Physokermes hemicryphus'' has been introduced to North America. Some species are plant pests.
Morphology
Pre-reproductive femal ...
''
Cockerell 1895
*''
Physokermes concolor''
Coleman 1903 - fir bud-scale
*''
Physokermes fasciatus''
Borchsenius 1957
*''
Physokermes hellenicus''
Kozár & Gounari 2012
*''
Physokermes hemicryphus''
(Dalman) 1826 - small spruce bud-scale
*''
Physokermes inopinatus''
Danzig & Kozár 1973 - Hungarian spruce bud-scale
*''
Physokermes insignicola''
(Craw) 1894 - Montery pine scale
*''
Physokermes jezoensis''
Siraiwa 1939
*''
Physokermes picaefoliae''
Tang 1984
*''
Physokermes piceae''
(Schrank) 1801 - spruce bud-scale
*''
Physokermes shanxiensis''
Tang 1991
*''
Physokermes sugonjaevi''
Danzig 1972
*''
Physokermes taxifoliae''
Coleman 1903 - Douglas fir scale
References
Sternorrhyncha genera
Coccidae
{{Coccidae-stub