Hordeolicoccus nephelii (Takahashi)

Family

Pseudococcidae

Common name

Big-eyed mealybug

Field characters

We have been unable to find a description of the field characteristics of this species in the literature. Based on characteristics of slide-mounted adult female: Body oval; ovisac absent from dorsum and present on venter; 18 pairs of thin lateral filaments, posterior pair longer than rest, surrounding body margin; body covered by white mealy secretion. Probably on fruit and stems of host.

Validation characters

Largest discoidal pores equal to or larger than diameter of multilocular pores; oral-collar tubular ducts absent from dorsum; ventral multilocular pores on venter of abdominal segments VI or VII to VIII; sclerotized plate next to eye with several large discoidals; antennae 9-segemented; 18 pairs of cerarii; large oral-collar tubular ducts forming ventral band around body margin; translucent pores on hind coxa, trochanter, femur, and tibia; dorsal setae conical or filamentous.

Comparison

Hordeolicoccus nephelii is similar to H. invocatus Williams and H. heterotrichus Williams by having 18 pairs of cerarii; sclerotized plate with discoidal pores near eye; multilocular pores confined to abdomen; translucent pores on hind coxa, trochanter, femur, and tibia. Hordeolicoccus nephelii differs from H. invocatus by having discoidal pores that are about as large as multilocular pores and by having multilocular pores restricted to abdominal segments VI or VII to VIII. Hordeolicoccus invocatus differs by having discoidal pores that are smaller, about as large as trilocular pores and by having multilocular pores on abdominal segments V to VIII. Hordeolicoccus nephelii differs from H. heterotrichus by lacking dorsal oral-collar tubular ducts, structures that are present on H. heterotrichus.

U.S. quarantine notes

This species was intercepted 3 times at U. S. ports-of-entry between 1995 and 2012, with specimens originating from Vietnam, but it was reported by Williams (2004) from other interceptions. We also have examined specimens intercepted at U. S. ports-of-entry from Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam on Artocarpus, Durio, Garcinia, and Nephelium. ScaleNet lists the species from 7 families of host plants, and distribution records include countries in the Oriental zoogeographic region only. One other species of Hordeolicoccus other than H. nephelii and H. heterotrichus Williams has been taken at U. S. ports-of-entry, H. invocatus Williams (The Philippines, Thailand, on Nephelium).

Important references

Willia2004.

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