Eriococcidae is a family of
scale insect
Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than the ...
s in the order
Hemiptera
Hemiptera (; ) is an order (biology), order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, Reduviidae, assassin bugs, Cimex, bed bugs, and shield bugs. ...
. They are commonly known as felt scales or eriococcids. Each species is usually specific to a different plant host, or closely related group of hosts.
Recent research using
ribosomal DNA
Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) is a DNA sequence that codes for ribosomal RNA. These sequences regulate transcription initiation and amplification, and contain both transcribed and non-transcribed spacer segments.
In the human genome there are 5 chromo ...
has shown that the family Eriococcidae is not a single
monophyletic
In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...
group but is an aggregation of several different groups. Some species that appear morphologically similar seem to be only distantly related while dissimilar species are sometimes more closely related.
[Cook, L.G. & Gullan, P.J. 2004: The gall-inducing habit has evolved multiple times among the eriococcid scale insects (Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae). ''Biological Journal of the Linnean Society'', 83: 441-452. DOI: 10.1111/j 1095-8312.2004.00396.x] The type genus ''
Eriococcus'' has been shown to be
polyphyletic
A polyphyletic group is an assemblage of organisms or other evolving elements that is of mixed evolutionary origin. The term is often applied to groups that share similar features known as homoplasies, which are explained as a result of converg ...
.
Morphology
Felt scales are a diverse group of scale insects. They produce a white, yellowish or gray membranous capsule or ovisac that encloses the pyramid-shaped body of the adult female. The body itself varies in colour and may be pink, red or purple, green or brown. The posterior end of the sac has a small opening that allows newly hatched
nymphs
A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...
to emerge. Some species occur under the bark of the host plant and produce little or no ovisac secretion. The bodies of these are often pink or red. Many species produce
galls, including ''
Apiomorpha'' which feeds on various species of ''
eucalypt
Eucalypt is a descriptive name for woody plants with capsule fruiting bodies belonging to seven closely related genera (of the tribe Eucalypteae) found across Australasia:
''Eucalyptus'', ''Corymbia'', ''Angophora'', '' Stockwellia'', ''Allosyn ...
'' and have a complex life cycle. It can produce separate male galls that are induced on existing female galls.
Some species are tree pests in North America, including: European elm scale, azalea bark scale, oak eriococcin, crape myrtle bark scale, beech scale
[Borror and DeLong's Introduction to the Study of Insects�Norman F. Johnson, Charles A. Triplehorn. 2004. Brooks Cole.]
Genera
* ''
Acalyptococcus''
* ''
Acanthococcus''
* ''
Aculeococcus''
* ''
Affeldococcus''
* ''
Alpinococcus''
* ''
Apezococcus''
* ''
Apiococcus''
* ''
Apiomorpha''
* ''
Ascelis''
* ''
Atriplicia''
* ''
Balticococcus''
* ''
Borchseniococcus''
* ''
Bryococcus''
* ''
Callococcus''
* ''
Calycicoccus''
* ''
Capulinia''
* ''
Carpochloroides''
* ''
Chazeauana''
* ''
Chilechiton''
* ''
Chilecoccus''
* ''
Cornoculus''
* ''
Cryptococcus
''Cryptococcus'' is a genus of fungi in the family Cryptococcaceae that includes both yeasts and filamentous species. The filamentous, sexual forms or teleomorphs were formerly classified in the genus ''Filobasidiella'', while ''Cryptococcus'' ...
''
* ''
Cylindrococcus''
* ''
Cystococcus''
* ''
Eremococcus''
* ''
Eriochiton''
* ''
Eriococcus''
* ''
Erium''
* ''
Exallococcus''
* ''
Gedanicoccus''
* ''
Gossypariella''
* ''
Greenoripersia''
* ''
Hoheriococcus''
* ''
Hoyicoccus''
* ''
Icelococcus''
* ''
Intecticoccus''
* ''
Jutlandicoccus''
* ''
Kotejacoccus''
* ''
Kuenowicoccus''
* ''
Kuwanina''
* ''
Lachnodius''
* ''
Macroporicoccus''
* ''
Macracanthopyga''
* ''
Madarococcus''
* ''
Megacoccus''
* ''
Melzeria''
* ''
Montanococcus''
* ''
Neoacanthococcus''
* ''
Neoeriochiton''
* ''
Neotectococcus''
* ''
Noteococcus''
* ''
Olliffia''
* ''
Opisthoscelis''
* ''
Orafortis''
* ''
Oregmopyga''
* ''
Ourococcus''
* ''
Ovaticoccus''
* ''
Pedroniopsis''
* ''
Phacelococcus''
* ''
Phloeococcus''
* ''
Proteriococcus''
* ''
Pseudocapulinia''
* ''
Pseudomontanococcus''
* ''
Pseudotectococcus''
* ''
Ripersia''
* ''
Sangicoccus''
* ''
Scutare''
* ''
Sisyrococcus''
* ''
Sphaerococcopsis''
* ''
Stegococcus''
* ''
Stibococcus''
* ''
Subcorticoccus''
* ''
Tanyscelis''
* ''
Tectococcus''
* ''
Tolypecoccus''
* ''
Xerococcus''
See also
* ''
Cryptococcus fagisuga''
References
* 1963: A catalogue of the Eriococcidae (Homoptera: Coccoidea) of the world. ''New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research bulletin'', 150: 1-260. http://hdl.handle.net/2027/coo.31924002840985
* ; 2005: ScaleNe
Eriococcidae,
Scale insects
Hemiptera families
Neococcoids
{{Coccoidea-stub