Species:Rastrococcus iceryoides (Green) - Catalog

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Common name: Icerya mealybug

Field Characters: Body oval to round; slightly rounded to convex in lateral view; light yellow; legs light yellow; mealy wax covering thick, in median area forming medial longitudinal ridge on thorax and abdomen; without longitudinal bare areas on dorsum; ovisac ventral, copious, tilting posterior end of female off of host substrate when fully developed, similar in appearance to cottonycushion scale (Icerya purchasi Maskell); lateral wax filaments variable in number, coalescing through time, when separate, broad at base narrowing to rounded point at apex, ultimately forming plate-like fringe around body, anterior filaments nearly 1/2 as long as width of body, posterior filaments slightly longer than others, about 1/4 length of body. Occurring on foliage, stems, and fruit of host. Oviparous, eggs honey yellow. Surface of lateral filaments smooth.

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habitus of Rastrococcus iceryoides jpg image of Rastrococcus iceryoides photomicrograph jpg image of Rastrococcus iceryoides drawing
Validation characters: Anterior ostioles present; cerarii with more than 5 truncate setae; cerarii on anterior thorax and head coalesced; with long dorsal setae adjacent to anal ring; antennae 9-segmented; quinquelocular pores present on venter; denticle on claw.

Comparison: Rastrococcus iceryoides is unique among Rastrococcus species by having anterior ostioles and elongate dorsal setae near the anal ring. Other species in the genus lack anterior ostioles and have short setae near the anal ring.

U.S. quarantine notes: This species has been reported on more than 30 host families. It has been intercepted at US ports-of-entry from India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka on Codiaeum and Murraya. Three other species of Rastrococcus other than R. iceryoides and R. invadens have been taken at US ports-of-entry including: R. jabadiu Williams (Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand on Ficus, Nephelium, Stephanotis, and Stropanthus); R. spinosus (Robinson) (Philippines and Singapore on Lansium and Tabernaemontana); and R. tropicasiatics Williams (Philippines and Vietnam on Mangifera and Nephelium).

References: Willia1989, Willia2004.

All references mentioning: Rastrococcus iceryoides

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