Species Rhizoecus dianthi Green, 1926

Museums

Regional Maps

• Rhizoecus dianthi Green, E.E. 1926. Observations on British Coccidae. – X. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 62: 172-183 [175].
• Rhizoecus eluminatus McKenzie, H.L. 1960. Taxonomic study of California mealybugs with descriptions of new species (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Hilgardia 29: 681-770 [747].
• Rhizoecus pritchardi McKenzie, H.L. 1960. Taxonomic study of California mealybugs with descriptions of new species (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Hilgardia 29: 681-770 [749].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• 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 [45] (synonymy of Rhizoecus eluminatus McKenzie, 1960)
• Williams, D.J. & Nakahara, S. 1980. Rhizoecus pritchardi McKenzie, a junior synonym of R. dianthi Green (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 82: 336-337 [336] (synonymy of Rhizoecus pritchardi McKenzie, 1960)

Ecological Descriptors

Sap-feeder.

ID Keys

(Marotta, S., 1995) [120] (female; Italy); (Tang, F.T., 1992) [54] (female; China); (Williams, D.J., 1987) [192] (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) [148] (female; U.S.A., Florida); (Cox, J.M., 1978) [624] (female; New Zealand); (Hambleton, E.J., 1976) [8] (female; world); (Hambleton, E.J., 1973) [64] (female; U.S.A., Florida); (McKenzie, H.L., 1967) [372] (female; U.S.A., California); (McKenzie, H.L., 1962) [673] (female; North America); (Williams, D.J., 1962) [41] (female); (McKenzie, H.L., 1961) [42] (female; North America); (McKenzie, H.L., 1960) [743] (female; North America); (Hambleton, E.J., 1946) [17] (female; world)

GENERAL

Good description and illustration of the adult female given by Green, E.E. 1926. Observations on British Coccidae. – X. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 62: 172–183, Williams, D.J. 1962. The British Pseudococcidae (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Entomology 12: 1–79, McKenzie, H.L. 1960. Taxonomic study of California mealybugs with descriptions of new species (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Hilgardia 29: 681–770, 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., Cox, J.M. 1978. Revision of the Rhizoecus species (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) known from New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Zoology 5: 623–638; Cox, J.M. 1987. Pseudococcidae (Insecta: Hemiptera). In, Duval, C.T. (ed). Fauna of New Zealand. Wellington, New Zealand : DSIR Science Information Publishing Centre Vol. 11 229 pp. and by 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. 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 its host plants. In California it develops up to six generations per year. Females are ovoviviparous and reproduce parthenogenetically (see 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. and Snetsinger, R. 1966. Biology and control of a root-feeding mealybug on Saintpaulia. Journal of Economic Entomology 59: 1077–1078).

STRUCTURE

See colour photograph of the adult female in 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..

ECONOMIC AND CONTROL

A serious pest of African violet in greenhouses in California (see Snetsinger, R. 1966. Biology and control of a root-feeding mealybug on Saintpaulia. Journal of Economic Entomology 59: 1077–1078). A major pest of greenhouse plants in Europe (see 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

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. [383] (Rhizoecus cyperalis: misidentification discovered by : 21)

Common Name References

McKenzie, H.L. 1960. Taxonomic study of California mealybugs with descriptions of new species (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae). Hilgardia 29: 681-770 (Pritchard Mealybug)

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. (Blind Mealybug)

Naumann, I.D., Ingram, R.J. & Floyd, R. 2002. Australian Insect Common Names, based on CSIRO Handbook of Australian Insect Names. 6th edn 1993. http://www.ento.csiro.au/aicn/. (African Violet Mealybug)

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