Belongs within: Coccoidea.
Contains: Paracoccus, Rhizoecus, Pseudococcus, Nipaecoccus, Phenacoccus.
The Pseudococcidae include the mealy bugs, named for the thin covering of mealy wax over the body surface of many species. Some species are significant plant pests such as the citrus mealybug Planococcus citri. Conversely, the species Hypogeococcus festerianus has been used in Australia to control the harrisia cactus Eriocereus martinii (Carver et al. 1991). Species of the genus Rhizoecus are subterranean, feeding on the roots of their host plants. Members of the subfamily Pseudococcinae have hair-like dorsal setae whereas the dorsal setae are spinose in in Phenacoccinae.
Many pseudococcids exhibit highly specialised symbioses with ants, who tend them for the honeydew they produce. Malaicoccus formicarii is found in association with the ant species Hypoclinea cuspidatus, and is transported by its host ants between suitable feeding sites. Emerging queens of the ant genus Acropyga carry mealybugs in their mandibles in order to establish a new mealybug ‘herd’ when establishing a new ant colony (Grimaldi & Engel 2005).
Characters (from Carver et al. 1991): Female with a combination of dorsal ostioles, ventral circuli, trilocular pores and usually 1-18 pairs of cerarii; anterior and posterior pairs of thoracic spiracles approximately the same size; abdominal spiracles absent; terminal segments of abdomen not fused into pygidium; anal ring often with an outer and an inner row of pores; tubular ducts not cupped at inner end.
<==Pseudococcidae
|--Pseudococcinae [Pseudococcini]A73
| |--PseudococcusGML13
| |--Ferrisiana virgata (Cockerell 1893) [=Dactylopius virgatus]A73
| `--NipaecoccusA73
`--Phenacoccinae [Phenacoccini]KP01
|--PhenacoccusLS96
`--Centrococcus insolitus (Green 1908) [=Phenacoccus insolitus]A73
Pseudococcidae incertae sedis:
Trabutina manniparaGE05
HippeococcusGE05
Malaicococcus formicariiGE05
ElectromyrmococcusGE05
Tympanococcus Williams 1967GML13
Chlorococcus Beardsley 1971GML13
Clavicoccus erinaceus Ferris in Zimmerman 1948GML13
Phyllococcus oahuensisGML13
Melanococcus albizziaeCGW91
Australicoccus grevilleaeCGW91
*Ripersiella rumicisM27, WEE70 [=Ripersia rumicisM27]
Tridiscus distichliiWEE70
Amonostherium lichtensioidesM96
Anisococcus milleriM96
Antoninoides parrottiM96
Ehrhornia cupressiM96
Geococcus coffeaeM96
Lachnodiella mexicanaM96
Palmicultor palmarumM96
Prorhizoecus atopoporusM96
Pseudantonina texanaM96
Radicoccus kelloggiM96
Saccharicoccus sacchariM96
Syrmococcus pecosensisM96
Cryptoripersia arizonensisW87
Mollicoccus Williams 1960GML13
`--M. guadalcanalanus Williams 1960GML13
TrionymusM96
|--T. coronusM96
`--T. perrisiiK09
ChorizococcusM96
|--C. rostellumM96
`--C. triunfoensisM96
FerrisiaM96
|--F. consobrinaM96
`--F. virgataM96
HeliococcusM96
|--H. corralesiM96
`--H. deserticolaM96
PorococcusM96
|--P. pergandeiM96
`--P. tinctoriusM96
AntoninaWEE70
|--A. bambusaeB88
|--A. graminisWEE70 [incl. A. indicaC81]
`--A. nortoniM96
RastrococcusGE05
|--R. iceryoidesGE05
|--R. invadensMHG04
`--R. spinosusMHG04
HumococcusM96
|--H. atriplicisM96
|--H. hilariaeM96
`--H. yenseniM96
HypogeococcusM96
|--H. bohartiM96
|--H. festerianusCGW91
|--H. othniusM96
`--H. spinosusM96
PlanococcusWEE70
|--P. citriWEE70
|--P. lilacinusMHG04
|--P. minorCGW91
`--P. vovaeS07
DistichlicoccusM96
|--D. megacirculusW87
|--D. sahuayoensisM96
|--D. salinusM96
|--D. sinaloanusM96
`--D. zacapuensisM96
SpilococcusM96
|--S. eriogoniM96
|--S. larreaeM96
|--S. mamillariaeM96
|--S. sequoiaeM96
`--S. steeliiM96
CataenococcusM96
|--C. cualatensisM96
|--C. ductorumM96
|--C. guatemalensisM96
|--C. ingrandiM96
|--C. laraiM96
`--C. olivaceusM96
DysmicoccusWEE70
|--D. bispinosusM96
|--D. boninsisM96
|--D. brevipesWEE70
|--D. grassiM96
|--D. hurdiM96
|--D. mackenzieiM96
|--D. neobrevipesMHG04
|--D. pinicolusM96
`--D. texensisM96
ParacoccusM96
RhizoecusM96
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[A73] Ali, S. M. 1973. Some coccids from Goa. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 69 (3): 669–671.
[B88] Bouček, Z. 1988. Australasian Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera): A biosystematic revision of genera of fourteen families, with a reclassification of species. CAB International: Wallingford (UK).
[C81] Caltagirone, L. E. 1981. Landmark examples in classical biological control. Annual Review of Entomology 26: 213–232.
[CGW91] Carver, M., G. F. Gross & T. E. Woodward. 1991. Hemiptera (bugs, leafhoppers, cicadas, aphids, scale insects etc.) In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers 2nd ed. vol. 1 pp. 429–509. Melbourne University Press: Carlton (Victoria).
[GE05] Grimaldi, D., & M. S. Engel. 2005. Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press: New York.
[GML13] Gullan, P. J., M. L. Moir & M. C. Leng. 2013. A new species of mealybug (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) from critically endangered Banksia montana in Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 28 (1): 13–20.
[K09] Köhler, G. 2009. Heuschrecken (Saltatoria) und Ohrwürmner (Dermaptera) im Immissionsgebiet des Düngemittelwerkes Steudnitz/Thüringen—eine Langzeitstudie (1978–2001). Mauritiana 20 (3): 601–646.
[KP01] Koteja, J., & G. O. Poinar Jr. 2001. A new family, genus, and species of scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccinea: Kukaspididae, new family) from Cretaceous Alaskan amber. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 103 (2): 356–363.
[LS96] Levins, R., & B. B. Schultz. 1996. Effects of density dependence, feedback and environmental sensitivity on correlations among predators, prey and plant resources: Models and practical implications. Journal of Animal Ecology 65: 802–812.
[MHG04] Maynard, G. V., J. G. Hamilton & J. F. Grimshaw. 2004. Quarantine—phytosanitary, sanitary and incursion management: an Australian entomological perspective. Australian Journal of Entomology 43 (3): 318–328.
[M96] Miller, D. R. 1996. Checklist of the scale insects (Coccoidea: Homoptera) of Mexico. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 98 (1): 68–86.
[M27] Myers, J. G. 1927. On the nomenclature of New Zealand Homoptera. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 57: 685–690.
[S07] Ślipiński, A. 2007. Australian Ladybird Beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae): Their biology and classification. Australian Biological Resources Study: Canberra.
[W87] Walter, D. E. 1987. Belowground arthropods of semiarid grasslands. In: J. L. Capinera (ed.) Integrated Pest Management on Rangeland: A shortgrass prairie perspective pp. 271–290. Westview Press, Inc.: Boulder (Colorado).
[WEE70] Woodward, T. E., J. W. Evans & V. F. Eastop. 1970. Hemiptera (bugs, leafhoppers, etc.) In: CSIRO. The Insects of Australia: A textbook for students and research workers pp. 387–457. Melbourne University Press.