Puto

Signoret, 1875

giant mealybugs, Puto scale insects

Species Guides

1

Puto is a of scale insects in the Putoidae, commonly known as giant mealybugs. The genus was established by Signoret in 1875 and is distinguished by its large body size relative to other mealybugs, dense white wax coating, and distinctive morphological features including cerarii and multilocular disc-pores. Putoidae is recognized as a distinct family separate from Pseudococcidae, representing a transitional evolutionary group between archaeococcoids and neococcoids. in this genus are primarily associated with woody plants in temperate and montane regions.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Puto: //ˈpuːtoʊ//

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Identification

Puto can be distinguished from other mealybug by their relatively large body size ( females 6–7 mm), oval body shape, and dense white waxy covering with marginal wax plates. Diagnostic features include 16 pairs of cerarii (waxy secretory structures), a complete circulus on abdominal segment III that is more than three times as wide as long, and the presence of multilocular disc-pores in two distinct sizes. Adult males are -like with gray forewings and two long wax filaments approximately 1.3 times body length.

Habitat

High-altitude mountainous areas and temperate montane forests; collected on twigs and trunks of woody plants. One described occurs at 3300 m elevation in the Xizang Autonomous Region (Tibet), China.

Distribution

Xizang Autonomous Region (Tibet), China; broader distribution likely includes temperate regions of Asia and potentially other montane areas, though specific records are limited in available sources.

Host Associations

  • Quercus semecarpifolia (Fagaceae) - plantdirect collection record from Tibet

Behavior

females produce dense white wax coating with marginal wax plates; adult males produce wax filaments. Exhibits typical insect sedentary lifestyle attached to plant twigs and trunks.

Ecological Role

Phytophagous insect feeding on oak and other woody plants in high-altitude montane ; specific ecosystem functions not documented in available sources.

Similar Taxa

  • Pseudococcidae (mealybugs)Puto was historically classified in Pseudococcidae but is now placed in separate Putoidae based on morphological and phylogenetic differences including larger body size, distinct cerarii arrangement, and transitional characteristics between archaeococcoid and neococcoid lineages.
  • other Putoidae generaWithin Putoidae, Puto is distinguished by specific combinations of cerarii number, circulus , and multilocular disc-pore characteristics; other putoid may differ in body size, wax secretion patterns, and associations.

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