Halimococcidae 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. ...

. Members of the family are commonly known as pupillarial palm scales or halimococcids. Most species are found on the leaves of

palm Palm most commonly refers to: * Palm of the hand, the central region of the front of the hand * Palm plants, of family Arecaceae **List of Arecaceae genera * Several other plants known as "palm" Palm or Palms may also refer to: Music * Palm (ba ...

trees where they suck

sap Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells (vessel elements or tracheids) or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. These cells transport water and nutrients throughout the plant. Sap is distinct from latex, resin, or cell sap; it is a separa ...

, but some species occur on ''

Pandanus ''Pandanus'' is a genus of monocots with some 750 accepted species. They are palm-like, dioecious trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics and subtropics. The greatest number of species are found in Madagascar and Malaysia. Common names ...

''. The family was named by Brown and McKenzie in 1962 and includes five known genera and twenty one species.

Morphology

The body of the palm scale is normally dark brown or black and pyramid-shaped, although some species are circular or elliptical. The body is flattened ventrally and is dorsally convex, with the posterior end being constricted with a protruding operculum. The female remains inside the second

instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...

while producing a hardened

test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...

. The

exuvia In biology, exuviae are the remains of an exoskeleton and related structures that are left after ecdysozoans (including insects, crustaceans and arachnids) have moulted. The exuviae of an animal can be important to biologists as they can often b ...

e then rupture ventrally and disintegrate, often leaving portions behind which become incorporated into the test.Köhler, G. 1987. Redescription and life-cycle properties of Colobopyga coperniciae Ferris, 1952 (Coccoidea: Halimococcidae) -- an endemic palm scale from Cuba. Zoologischer Anzeiger, Jena 219: 113-125 Most palm scale species do not secrete wax but some species have lateral, filamentous strands.APHIS: Family: Eriococcidae

Life cycle

Female palm scales have three instars while males normally have five.Stickney, F.S. 1934. The external anatomy of the red date scale Phoenicococcus marlatti Cockerell, and its allies. United States Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin 404: 1-162. tickn1934/ref> All species have a hardened test and it is believed that they all lay eggs. The crawlers emerge from the test through the anal opening at the back and disperse. The male develops further within the shed skin of the second instar, having a prepupal and then a pupal stage. There are believed to be several generations of palm scale each year and the female is thought to produce fewer than ten eggs.

Genera

* '' Colobopyga'' * '' Halimococcus'' * '' Madhalimococcus'' * '' Platycoccus'' * '' Thysanococcus''

References

Scale insects Hemiptera families Neococcoids {{Coccoidea-stub