Putoidae

Tang, 1992

giant mealybugs, putoids

Genus Guides

Puto(giant mealybugs)

is a of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha) commonly known as giant mealybugs or putoids. The family contains a single , Puto Signoret, 1875, with approximately 60 distributed mainly in the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Putoidae was elevated from Pseudococcidae due to significant morphological differences from other mealybugs. Members of this family are economically important as pests of agricultural crops, including coffee and various cultivated plants.

Putoidae by (c) Andrew Meeds, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Andrew Meeds. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Putoidae: //ˈpjuːtoʊ.aɪdiː//

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Identification

can be distinguished from Pseudococcidae by morphological characteristics that were considered significant enough to warrant -level separation; specific diagnostic traits include differences in female that distinguish Puto from other mealybug . An identification key to Old World based on adult females and a key to world adult males of Puto have been published.

Images

Habitat

Natural and cultivated plants; specifically documented from coffee roots in Colombia and various plants in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey.

Distribution

Primarily Nearctic and Palaearctic regions. Documented from: Iran (one , one ); Turkey (Eastern Anatolia: Ağrı, Bitlis, Hakkari, Iğdır, Van provinces); China (Oriental region including Tibet, and Palaearctic region); Colombia (coffee-growing regions).

Diet

Phloem-feeding on plant roots and other plant tissues; specifically documented feeding on coffee roots and associated with natural and cultivated plants.

Host Associations

coffee - pestroots
natural plants -
cultivated plants - pest

Ecological Role

Economically important agricultural and horticultural pests subject to pest control and inspection. Natural enemies include (Encyrtidae: Aenasius spp., Zarhopalus putophilus, Hambletonia pseudococcina, Prochiloneurus aff. dactylopii, Leptomastix sp., Cicoencyrtus sp.), cecidomyid flies (Cecidomyiidae), coccinellid beetles (Coccinellidae), and antagonistic fungi (Trichoderma sp.).

Human Relevance

Agricultural pests of coffee and other crops; subject to efforts and inspection. The has been the focus of taxonomic works aimed at providing reliable identification for agricultural pest management.

Similar Taxa

PseudococcidaeFormerly classified within Pseudococcidae; separated due to significant morphological differences in females; both are mealybugs (Coccomorpha) with overlapping associations and geographic distributions.
RhizoecidaeBoth are of scale insects within Coccomorpha associated with roots and soil ; often treated together in taxonomic and agricultural studies of mealybugs.