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Title: MELZERIA HORNI GREEN (HEMIPTERA: COCCOIDEA: ERIOCOCCIDAE): REDESCRIPTION OF A POORLY KNOWN FELT SCALE.

Author
item Miller, Douglass
item WILLIAMS, DOUGLAS - DEPT.ENT.,NHM, LONDON

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/24/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Scale insects are important pests in agricultural systems particularly on fruit trees, woody ornamentals, and in greenhouses. A major research thrust is underway to provide the correct names for all 7,000 species of scales so that published information can be easily retrieved and used to control them. The scale insect melzeria horni has not been included in any of the catalogs on scale insects because its identity has been confused or unknown. The purpose of this research is to describe and illustrate the species, and demonstrate that it should be placed in the family with other felt scales. These results allow the authors to include this species in a database called ScaleNet, which is currently available on the World Wide Web. ScaleNet is particularly useful to state and regularly organizations such as APHIS/PPQ interested in controlling and preventing the spread of pest scales.

Technical Abstract: The genus Melzeria and the only included species, M. horni Green, were described in 1930, but the appropriate family assignment was questionable. Since that time, no one has studied the species and it has not been included in any of the recent catalogs. The objective of this paper is to redescribe and provide evidence that supports its placement in the family Eriococcidae.