Ovaticoccus agavium (Douglas)

Family

Eriococcidae

Common name

Agave ovaticoccin

Field characters

Body oval, lightly dusted with white mealy wax, pink body shows through wax, with 2 longitudinal lines of brown blotches on dorsum; usually with strands of filamentous wax at posterior end of body. Males form wax cocoons on undersides of leaves. Usually completely hidden in sheaths of host near base.

Validation characters

Anal ring without pores; dorsum with truncate enlarged setae in addition to filamentous setae; multilocular pores on dorsum and venter; cruciform pores present on venter medially on thorax and abdomen, laterally on abdomen; antennae 7-segmented; microtubular ducts small, with 2 sclerotized areas internally and simple orifice; macrotubular ducts restricted to posterior abdomen. Other characters: Without protruding anal lobes; hind coxae with few large translucent pores.

Comparison

Ovaticoccus agavium is similar to O. californicus McKenzie by having few macrotubular ducts, multilocular pores on both body surfaces, cruciform pores in lateral clusters, and translucent pores on hind coxae. Ovaticoccus agavium differs by having ventral cruciform pores on medial areas of abdomen (absent in O. californicus), abundant enlarged setae on dorsum (normally absent on O. californicus), and small number of microtubular ducts on dorsum (absent on O. californicus).

U.S. quarantine notes

This species was intercepted 13 times at U. S. ports-of-entry between 1995 and 2012, with specimens originating from Mexico, The United Kingdom and N. Ireland. We also have examined specimens taken in quarantine from Mexico (Agave, Yucca); Northern Ireland (Agave); Spain (Agave). ScaleNet includes hosts mostly in the Agavaceae, on which it is most commonly intercepted, and one record on Liliaceae. ScaleNet distribution records for O. agavium include countries in the Afrotropical, Nearctic, and Palaearctic zoogeographic regions. No other species of Ovaticoccus have been intercepted at a U. S. port-of-entry.

Important references

Boraty1958; Gill1993; MillerMc1967.

Scalenet catalog and citation list

Click here for a Catalog.