Species: Paracoccus interceptus Lit - Catalog

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Common name: Intercepted mealybug Field Characters: We have been unable to locate a description of the field characteristics of this species in the literature. Based on characteristics of slide-mounted adult female: Body oval; ovisac absent from dorsum and present on venter; 15 or 16 pairs of thin lateral filaments, posterior pair longer than rest, surrounding body margin; body covered by white mealy secretion. Probably on arboreal parts of host.
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Validation characters: Cluster of ventral oral collars laterad of front coxae, often with associated multilocular pores; without ventral oral-rim tubular ducts; dorsal setae short, longest about 15 µ long, about same length as conical cerarian setae; hind coxa conspicuously larger than front coxa; oral rims scattered over dorsal surface; 18 pairs of cerarii; ventral multilocular pores on abdomen in medial areas and near lateral body margin; circulus present. Comparison: Paracoccus interceptus is similar to P. cognatus Williams by having a circulus, multilocular pores in lateral areas on ventral abdomen; cluster of ventral oral collars laterad of front coxa; no ventral oral-rim tubular ducts. Paracoccus interceptus differs from P. cognatus by having short dorsal setae and hind coxae larger than front coxae. Paracoccus cognatus has long dorsal setae and hind coxae about same size as front coxae. U.S. quarantine notes: This species is commonly taken on a wide diversity of host, particularly tropical trees. It is most frequently taken in quarantine from the Philippines but also has been intercepted from Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Several species of Paracoccus other than P. marginatus and P. interceptus have been intercepted at US ports-of-entry including: P. burnerae (Brain) (Madagascar on Polypodium); P. hamoni Williams and Granara de Willink (Mexico on Cephalocereus), P. circuliprivis Ezzat and McConnell (Mexico on Thomsoniella); P. ferrisi Ezzat and McConnell (Mexico, El Salvador, and Costa Rica on Capsicum, Catalpa, Coriandrum, Crataegus, Cydonia, Diospyros, Fernaldia, Gardenia, Lantana, Malus, and Punica), P. herreni Williams and Granara de Willink (El Salvador and Mexico on Fernaldia and Punica); P. invectus Williams (Thailand and India on orchids including Dendrobium); P. lycopersici Ezzat and McConnell (Mexico on Lycopersicon); P. mexicanus Ezzat and McConnell (Mexico on Acacia and Sedum); P. solani Ezzat and McConnell (Mexico on Erigeron). References: Cox1989 (as Planococcus morrisoni); Willia2004. All references mentioning: Paracoccus interceptus
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