Genus Dactylopius Costa, 1829

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Genus Dactylopius Costa, 1829

Dactylopius Costa, O.G. 1829. Fauna del Regno di Napoli, famiglia de coccinigliferi, o de' gallinsetti. Napoli : Emitteri 23 pp. [16].
Type species:
Dactylopius coccus Costa, 1829 by designation under Plenary Powers, see International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1983. Opinion 1247. Dactylopius Costa (Nov. 1829) and Pseudococcus Westwood, 1840 (Insecta, Homoptera): designation of type species. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 40: 77-80 [77] (Opinion 1247 set aside previous designations of type species for Dactylopius and designated Dactylopius coccus Costa, 1829 as the type-species. The Opinion placed Dactylopius Costa, 1829 on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology, and Dactylopius coccus Costa, 1829 on the Official List of Specific Names in Zoology).

ID Keys

(Gill, R.J., 1993) [148] (female; USA, California); (De Lotto, G., 1974) [(female; world); (Ferris, G.F., 1955) [86] (female; North America)

GENERAL

Good definition and characters given by Ferris, G.F. 1955. Atlas of the Scale Insects of North America, v. 7, the Families Aclerdidae, Asterolecaniidae, Conchaspididae Dactylopiidae and Lacciferidae. iii. Palo Alto, California : Stanford University Press 233 pp., De Lotto, G. 1974. On the status and identity of the cochineal insects (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Dactylopiidae). Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 37: 167–193, Gill, R.J. 1993. The Scale Insects of California: Part 2. The Minor Families (Homoptera : Coccoidea). Sacramento, California : California Dept of Food & Agriculture.

SYSTEMATICS

This genus currently accommodates species of cochineal scales, family Dactylopiidae. However, during the latter decades of 19th century and early 20's, many species, which belong to the mealybug family, Pseudococcidae, have been described in this genus. The history, taxonomy and nomenclature of this confusion has been extensively discussed by Ferris, G.F. 1955. Atlas of the Scale Insects of North America, v. 7, the Families Aclerdidae, Asterolecaniidae, Conchaspididae Dactylopiidae and Lacciferidae. iii. Palo Alto, California : Stanford University Press 233 pp., Morrison, H. & Morrison, E.R. 1966. An annotated list of generic names of the scale insects (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Miscellaneous Publication United States Department of Agriculture 1015: 1–206, De Lotto, G. 1974. On the status and identity of the cochineal insects (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Dactylopiidae). Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 37: 167–193, Miller, D.R. 1974. Two new Heliococcus species, a key to the North American species, and a list of world species (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Pan-Pacific Entomologist 50: 177–192, Danzig, E.M. & Kerzhner, I.M. 1981. Comments on the proposal on Dactylopius and Pseudococcus, with additional proposal to use the plenary powers for suppression of Coccus adonidum Linnaeus, 1767 and Pediculus coffeae Linnaeus, 1767 and for validation of Dactylopius longispinus. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 38: 79–82, and Opinion 1247 (International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 1983. Opinion 1247. Dactylopius Costa (Nov. 1829) and Pseudococcus Westwood, 1840 (Insecta, Homoptera): designation of type species. Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 40: 77–80).