Phylloxera echinus
Phylloxera echinus is a of gall-forming insect in the Phylloxeridae, closely related to aphids. Like other phylloxerans, this species induces abnormal plant growths (galls) on plants through chemical secretions that manipulate plant tissue development. The specific host associations and gall of P. echinus have not been well documented in available literature. The Phylloxera contains several economically important species, most notably the grape phylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae), though P. echinus itself appears to be poorly studied.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Phylloxera echinus: //fɪˈlɒksərə eˈkaɪnəs//
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Similar Taxa
- Daktulosphaira vitifoliaeAlso in Phylloxeridae; grape phylloxera is the most economically important phylloxeran , inducing galls on grapevines and causing near-destruction of European viticulture in the 19th century. P. echinus has not been documented to cause comparable economic damage.
- Phylloxera caryaecaulisAnother Phylloxera that forms galls on hickory (Carya); P. caryaecaulis creates distinctive globular galls on leaf petioles and blades of hickory trees. The plant and gall differ from P. echinus, though specific details for P. echinus remain undocumented.
- Phylloxera devastatrixPecan phylloxera, a damaging pest of pecan trees that attacks shoots and nuts; causes more severe economic damage than the related pecan leaf phylloxera. P. echinus has not been recorded as a pecan pest.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- iNaturalist taxon
- Insects and mites that feed on leaves - AgriLife Extension Entomology
- Managing Insect and Mite Pests of Commercial Pecans in Texas - AgriLife Extension Entomology
- Meet 'The Moth Man' at Bohart Museum's Moth Night | Bug Squad
- A Victory for the Bees | Bug Squad
- The Insects Behind the Weird Growths on Plants
- Gall darn it! Gall insects on hickory, oak, and elm, Phylloxera caryaecaulis, Andricus palustris, Colopha ulmicola — Bug of the Week