| Stictococcidae | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Sternorrhyncha |
| Infraorder: | Coccomorpha |
| Superfamily: | Coccoidea |
| Family: | Stictococcidae Lindinger, 1913[1] |
| Genera | |
See text | |
Stictococcidae is a family ofscale insects commonly known asstictococcids. There are threegenera containing about seventeenspecies and members of this family are found only inAfrotropical regions.[2]
Members of this family have been recorded on thirty-eight different plant families, including various agricultural crops, but are most common on plants in the families,Annonaceae,Euphorbiaceae,Fabaceae andSterculiaceae.[2]
Adult female stictococcids are similar in appearance to soft scales in the familyCoccidae. They are nearly circular, flattened dorsally and have turned up margins. The segments are conspicuous, particularly near the rim. There are small, pale coloured legs andantennae on the underside. The body is covered insetae which are longer at the periphery.[2]
Stictococcids have three femaleinstars and five male instars. The first instars are sexuallydimorphic, with the females having theanus in the center of the body and having well-developed mouthparts, whereas the males have the anus near the posterior end of the body and have no mouthparts.[3] Most species are associated withants who feed on thehoneydew they produce.[2]
