Species Rhizoecus cacticans (Hambleton, 1946)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Ripersiella cacticans Hambleton, E.J. 1946. Studies of hypogeic mealybugs. Revista de Entomologia. Rio de Janeiro 17: 1-77 [64].
• Rhizoecus epiphylli Ferris, G.F. 1953. Atlas of the Scale Insects of North America. v. 6. The Pseudococcidae. (Part 2). Palo Alto, California : Stanford University Press Vol. 6(2) 506 pp. [442].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• McKenzie, H.L. 1960. Taxonomic study of California mealybugs with descriptions of new species (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Hilgardia 29: 681-770 [745] (synonymy of Rhizoecus epiphylli Ferris, 1953)

Ecological Descriptors

Sap-feeder.

ID Keys

(Marotta, S., 1995) [120] (female; Italy); (Russo, A. & Mazzeo, G., 1992) [218] (female; Italy); (Tang, F.T., 1992) [54] (female; China); (Williams, D.J. & Granara de Willink, M.C., 1992) [498] (female; Central and South America); (Williams, D.J., 1987) [191] (female; Australia); (Williams, D.J., 1985) [353] (female; Australia); (Williams, D.J., 1985) [624] (female; species of Rhizoecus on Saintpaulia spp.); (Hambleton, E.J., 1979) [149] (female; U.S.A., Florida); (Hambleton, E.J., 1976) [10] (female; world); (Hambleton, E.J., 1973) [64] (female; U.S.A., Florida); (McKenzie, H.L., 1967) [371] (female; U.S.A., California); (McKenzie, H.L., 1962) [671] (female; North America); (Williams, D.J., 1962) [43] (female); (McKenzie, H.L., 1961) [42] (female; North America); (McKenzie, H.L., 1960) [742] (female; North America); (Ferris, G.F., 1953) [427] (female; North America); (Hambleton, E.J., 1946) [61] (female; world)

GENERAL

Good description and illustration of the adult female given by Ferris, G.F. 1953. Atlas of the Scale Insects of North America, v. 6, The Pseudococcidae (Part II). Palo Alto, California : Stanford University Press 506 pp., McKenzie, H.L. 1967. Mealybugs of California with taxonomy, biology, and control of North American species (Homoptera: Cooccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Berkeley : Univ. Calif. Press 526 pp., Hambleton, E.J. 1976. A revision of the new world mealybugs of the genus Rhizoecus (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). United States Department of Agriculture Technical Bulletin 1522: 1–88, Zahradník, J. 1990. 3.9.9.1 Conifers. In, Rosen, D. (ed). Armoured Scale Insects, Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control, Vol. 4B. World Crop Pests. Amsterdam, The Netherlands : Elsevier and by Williams, D.J. & Granara de Willink, M.C. 1992. Mealybugs of Central and South America. London, England : CAB International Institute of Entomology 635 pp.. Good description of the adult female given by Tang, F.T. 1992. [The Pseudococcidae of China]. Taigu, Shanxi, China : Shanxi Agricultural University 768 pp..

BIOLOGY

Occurring on the roots of the host plants.

STRUCTURE

Colour photograph given by McKenzie, H.L. 1967. Mealybugs of California with taxonomy, biology, and control of North American species (Homoptera: Cooccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Berkeley : Univ. Calif. Press 526 pp.. SEM micrograph of wax secretion given by Foldi, I. 1991. The wax glands in scale insects: comparative ultrastructure, secretion, function and evolution (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France ns 27(2): 163–188.

ECONOMIC AND CONTROL

May cause extensive damage in greenhouses at the temperate Regions (see Dziedzicka, A. 1990. The characteristic of scale insects (Coccinea) occurring in Polish greenhouses. Part III. Pseudococcidae. Acta Biologica Cracoviensia Zool. 32: 29–38; and Zahradník, J. 1990. 3.9.9.1 Conifers. In, Rosen, D. (ed). Armoured Scale Insects, Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control, Vol. 4B. World Crop Pests. Amsterdam, The Netherlands : Elsevier).

General References

Gonzalez, R.H. & Charlin, R. 1968. [Preliminary notes on the coccoid insects of Chile.] Nota preliminar sobre los insectos cóccoideos de Chile. Revista Chilena de Entomología 6: 109-113 [112] (Rhizoecus leucosomus: misidentification)

Common Name References

McKenzie, H.L. 1967. Mealybugs of California with taxonomy, biology, and control of North American species (Homoptera: Cooccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Berkeley : Univ. Calif. Press 526 pp. (cited also by ) (Cacticans Mealybug)

History of changes