Eriococcidae is a family of scale insect

Scale insect

The scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, generally classified as the superfamily Coccoidea. There are about 8,000 species of scale insects.-Ecology:...

s in the order Hemiptera

Hemiptera

Hemiptera is an order of insects most often known as the true bugs , comprising around 50,000–80,000 species of cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and others...

. They are commonly known as felt scales or eriococcids. Each species is usually specific to a different plant host.

Recent research using ribosomal DNA

Ribosomal DNA

Ribosomal DNA codes for ribosomal RNA. The ribosome is an intracellular macromolecule that produces proteins or polypeptide chains. The ribosome itself consists of a composite of proteins and RNA. As shown in the figure, rDNA consists of a tandem repeat of a unit segment, an operon, composed of...

 has shown that the family Eriococcidae is not a single monophyletic

Monophyly

In common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a taxon which forms a clade, meaning that it contains all the descendants of the possibly hypothetical closest common ancestor of the members of the group. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly...

 group but is an aggregation of several different groups. Some species that appear morphologically similar seem to be only distantly related while dissimilar species are sometimes more closely related. The genus Eriococcus has been shown to be polyphyletic

Polyphyly

A polyphyletic group is one whose members' last common ancestor is not a member of the group.For example, the group consisting of warm-blooded animals is polyphyletic, because it contains both mammals and birds, but the most recent common ancestor of mammals and birds was cold-blooded...

.

Morphology

Felt scales are a diverse group of scale insects. They produce a white, yellowish or gray membranous capsule or ovisac that encloses the pyramid-shaped body of the adult female. The body itself varies in colour and may be pink, red or purple, green or brown. The posterior end of the sac has a small opening that allows newly hatched nymphs

Nymph (biology)

In biology, a nymph is the immature form of some invertebrates, particularly insects, which undergoes gradual metamorphosis before reaching its adult stage. Unlike a typical larva, a nymph's overall form already resembles that of the adult. In addition, while a nymph moults it never enters a...

 to emerge. Some species occur under the bark of the host plant and produce little or no ovisac secretion. The bodies of thse are often pink or red. Many species produce gall

Gall

Galls or cecidia are outgrowths on the surface of lifeforms caused by invasion by other lifeforms, such as parasites or bacterial infection. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues and can be caused by various parasites, from fungi and bacteria, to insects and mites...

s. These include Apiomorpha which feeds on various eucalypt

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...

species and has a complex life cycle. It can produce separate male galls that are induced on existing female galls.

Genera

• Acalyptococcus
• Acanthococcus
• Aculeococcus
• Affeldococcus
• Alpinococcus
• Apezococcus
• Apiococcus
• Apiomorpha
• Ascelis
• Atriplicia
• Balticococcus
• Borchseniococcus
• Bryococcus
• Calycicoccus
• Capulinia
• Carpochloroides
• Chazeauana
• Chilechiton
• Chilecoccus
• Cornoculus
• Cryptococcus
• Cylindrococcus
• Cystococcus
• Eriochiton
• Eriococcus
• Erium
• Exallococcus
• Gedanicoccus
• Gossypariella
• Greenoripersia
• Hoheriococcus
• Hoyicoccus
• Icelococcus
• Intecticoccus
• Jutlandicoccus
• Kotejacoccus
• Kuenowicoccus
• Kuwanina
• Lachnodius
• Macracanthopyga
• Madarococcus
• Megacoccus
• Melzeria
• Montanococcus
• Neoacanthococcus
• Neoeriochiton
• Neotectococcus
• Noteococcus
• Olliffia
• Opisthoscelis
• Orafortis
• Oregmopyga
• Ourococcus
• Ovaticoccus
• Pedroniopsis
• Phacelococcus
• Phloeococcus
• Proteriococcus
• Pseudocapulinia
• Pseudomontanococcus
• Pseudotectococcus
• Ripersia
• Sangicoccus
• Scutare
• Sisyrococcus
• Sphaerococcopsis
• Stegococcus
• Stibococcus
• Subcorticoccus
• Tanyscelis
• Tectococcus
• Tolypecoccus
• Xerococcus