Acanthococcus dubius (Cockerell)

Family

Eriococcidae

Common name

Uncertain eriococcin

Field characters

Adult female ranging from gray to purple to green, without stripes; crystalline rods common over dorsal surface of body. Felted ovisac white to tan, enclosing adult female and 55 to 150 eggs. Occurring on subterranean crown or roots and on undersides of branches and leaves.

Validation characters

Large sized enlarged setae present over body, largest setae on lateral, mediolateral and medial areas of abdomen forming 3 longitudinal lines on each side of body, with acute or slightly rounded apices, medial setae approximately same size as lateral setae; usually with more than 3 setae on each lateral margin of each abdominal segment; microducts small, inconspicuous, with simple orifice; anal lobe lightly sclerotized on ventral surface, without teeth; hind tibia with 5 setae, front tibia with 5 or 6 setae. Other characters: Anal lobes protruding; invaginated tubular ducts present; hind coxa and femur with translucent pores; cruciform pores present on venter along body margin.

Comparison

Acanthococcus dubius is similar to A. eriogoni Ehrhorn by having large sized enlarged setae covering the dorsum and more than 4 setae on the hind tibia. Acanthococcus dubius differs by having largest setae on dorsal surface of abdomen forming lateral, mediolateral, and medial longitudinal lines of seta (usually absent in A. eriogoni), enlarged setae straight or slightly curved and with pointed or slightly rounded apices (curved and rounded in A. eriogoni); front tibiae often with 6 setae (usually with 5 in A. eriogoni).

U.S. quarantine notes

This species was intercepted 3 times at U. S. ports-of-entry between 1995 and 2012, with specimens originating from Guyana, Honduras, and Mexico. We suspect that it has been intercepted much more commonly from the Caribbean area but has been identified as Acanthococcus sp. We also have examined specimens taken in quarantine from Mexico (cactus, Salvia). ScaleNet includes hosts in 11 plant families from the Nearctic and Neotropical (Brazil and Cuba) zoogeographic regions. No species of Acanthococcus other than A. araucariae (Maskell), A. coccineus (Cockerell), and A. dubius have been intercepted at a U. S. port-of-entry.

Important references

Gill1993; Hoy1962; MillerMi1992.

Scalenet catalog and citation list

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