Eriococcidae

Eriococcidae
Eriococcus coriaceus
the gumtree scale
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
Superfamily: Coccoidea
Family: Eriococcidae
Genera

See text

Galls formed by Apiomorpha conica
Adult female of Callococcus pulchellus

Eriococcidae is a family of scale insects in the order Hemiptera. They are commonly known as felt scales or eriococcids. As of 2023, there are 109 genera and 681 species.[1] Each species is usually specific to a different plant host, or closely related group of hosts.

Recent research using ribosomal DNA has shown that the family Eriococcidae is not a single monophyletic group but is an aggregation of several different groups.[2] Some species that appear morphologically similar seem to be only distantly related while dissimilar species are sometimes more closely related.[3] The type genus Eriococcus has been shown to be polyphyletic.[3]

  1. ^ "Eriococcidae". scalenet.info. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
  2. ^ Cook, Lyn G; Gullan, Penny J; Trueman, Holly E (2002). "A preliminary phylogeny of the scale insects (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) based on nuclear small-subunit ribosomal DNA". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 25 (1): 43–52. doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00248-8.
  3. ^ a b Cook, L. G.; Gullan, P. J. (2004-11-24). "The gall-inducing habit has evolved multiple times among the eriococcid scale insects (Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae): MULTIPLE ORIGINS OF GALLING IN ERIOCOCCIDS". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 83 (4): 441–452. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2004.00396.x.