Phoenicococcidae

Phoenicococcidae
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
Infraorder: Coccomorpha
Superfamily: Coccoidea
Family: Phoenicococcidae
Stickney, 1934
Genera

See text

Phoenicococcidae is a family of scale insects commonly known as palm scales or phoenicococcids. There is a single genus containing one species, Phoenicococcus marlatti.

Hosts

Palms in the genus Phoenix are the main host for Phoenicococcus marlatti but occasionally it has been found infesting other palms. It is widely distributed in areas where palms grow but it is likely that it is native to north Africa.

Description

Adult phoenicococcids are nearly circular, up to 1.5 millimetres long and a dark red colour. They are usually found embedded in a white waxy nest at the base of palm fronds. They have no legs and the antennae have a single segment.

Life cycle

There are three instars in the female and five in the male phoenicococcid. There are many overlapping generations with scales of all ages being present at any time of year. Development takes about sixty days in warm conditions but is much slower with cooler conditions.



This page was last updated at 2024-01-22 19:14 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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