IS THE GENUS LUSITANOCOCCUS NEVES A JUNIOR SYNONYM OF CUCULLOCOCCUS FERRIS (HEMIPTERA: COCCOIDEA: PSEUDOCOCCIDAE)?

Abstract

IS THE GENUS LUSITANOCOCCUS NEVES A JUNIOR SYNONYM OF CUCULLOCOCCUS FERRIS (HEMIPTERA: COCCOIDEA: PSEUDOCOCCIDAE)?

The genus Lusitanococcus was established by Neves in 1954 to include arrabidensis, a new species of mealybug collected in Portugal on Erica arborea and E. lusitanica. Later, on the basis of the original illustration and description, some workers considered that Lusitanococcus was a subjective synonym of Cucullococcus Ferris, 1941, while others considered it a valid genus.

Specimens were collected in the topotypic locality in Portugal off the same species of host plant and compared with the type specimens of Lusitanococcus arrabidensis Neves and with C. vaccinii Ferris, the type species of Cucullococcus. From this study, we have concluded that: (i) the genus Lusitanococcus is a junior subjective synonym of Cucullococcus, and that (ii) arrabidensis is a valid species. Some points with regard to generic characters of Cucullococcus are discussed.

Key words: Portugal, Spain, California, generic description, morphology, type, Erica, Vaccinium.