Species Acanthococcus confusus (Maskell, 1892)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Eriococcus confusus Maskell, W.M. 1892. Further coccid notes: with descriptions of new species, and remarks on coccids from New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 24: 1-64 [dated 1891] [26].

  Type data:

   Lectotype ANIC, AUSTRALIA: New South Wales, Sydney, Richmond.

  Type host:

   Eucalyptus viminalis
• Eriococcus gregarius Froggatt, W.W. 1916. A descriptive catalogue of the scale insects (Coccidae) of Australia. (Part II [in part]). Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales 27: 425-430, 568-577, 809-816, 883-888 [569].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Gullan, P.J. & Vranjic, J.A. 1991. The taxonomy of the gum tree scales Eriococcus confusus Maskell and E. coriaceus Maskell (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae). General and Applied Entomology 23: 21-40 [27] (synonymy of Eriococcus gregarius Froggatt, 1916)

Generic Combinations

• Acanthococcus confusus (Maskell, 1892). —
  Miller, D.R. & Gimpel, M.E. 1996. Nomenclatural changes in the Eriococcidae (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 98: 597-606 [599]

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria

Ecological Descriptors

Sap-feeder.

ID Keys

(Gullan, P.J. & Vranjic, J.A., 1991) [26] (adult female; Australian Eriococcus species infesting Eucalyptus); (Danzig, E.M., 1971) [823] (female; as Rhizococcus confusus; key to species of family Eriococcidae)

GENERAL

Most comprehensive description and photos of galls by Gullan, P.J. & Vranjic, J.A. 1991. The taxonomy of the gum tree scales Eriococcus confusus Maskell and E. coriaceus Maskell (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae). General and Applied Entomology 23: 21–40. Type information is compiled by Deitz, L.L. & Tocker, M.F. 1980. W.M. Maskell's Homoptera: Species-group names and type-material. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Information Series 146: 1–76.

BIOLOGY

Individuals densely aggregated with tests often appearing to coalesce. On smaller stems and midribs of leaves of many Eucalyptus species (see Gullan, P.J. & Vranjic, J.A. 1991. The taxonomy of the gum tree scales Eriococcus confusus Maskell and E. coriaceus Maskell (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae). General and Applied Entomology 23: 21–40).

SYSTEMATICS

Slide-mounted adult female with: enlarged setae elongate, apices acute, slightly curved, all about same size; last abdominal segment with cluster of 5 to 16 microtubular ducts on medial area of dorsum, macrotubular ducts absent from posteriomedial area of dorsum (see Gullan, P.J. & Vranjic, J.A. 1991. The taxonomy of the gum tree scales Eriococcus confusus Maskell and E. coriaceus Maskell (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae). General and Applied Entomology 23: 21–40). Eriococcus confusus Maskell, 1892 is the senior secondary homonym of E. confusus Danzig,1962. The name E. confusus Danzig has been replaced with E. danzigae.

STRUCTURE

Sac of female dirty-white or grey with a leathery covering that is yellowish-brown (see Froggatt, W.W. 1921. A descriptive catalogue of the scale insects (Coccidae) of Australia. (Part II [Concl.]). Science Bulletin, Department of Agriculture, New South Wales 18: 1–159. Adult female is dull brownish-yellow to dark red, broadly oval and convex (see Maskell, W.M. 1892. Further coccid notes: with descriptions of new species, and remarks on coccids from New Zealand, Australia and elsewhere. Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute 24: 1–64 [dated 1891]) and densely aggregated (see Vranjic, J.A. 1990. Taxonomy and host plant relations of gum tree scale insects (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae). Cracow : Agricultural University Press). Crushed body contents are orange-brown. Adults crushed in 10% KOH solution are yellowish-brown at first, then turning greenish brown (see Gullan, P.J. & Vranjic, J.A. 1991. The taxonomy of the gum tree scales Eriococcus confusus Maskell and E. coriaceus Maskell (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Eriococcidae). General and Applied Entomology 23: 21–40).

History of changes