Valid Names Results

Acanthococcus texanus (King, 1902) (Eriococcidae: Acanthococcus)

Nomenclatural History

• Eriococcus texanus King 1902f: 286. Type data: UNITED STATES: Texas, San Angelo, in a nest of Cremastogaster punctulata, ?/03/1902, by Wheeler. Lectotype, female, by subsequent designation (MillerMi1992,87-90). accepted valid name Notes: Paratype material in CDAE. Miller & Miller (1992) state that the lectotype was returned to the collection at the University of Massachusetts, but Adam Porter (personal communication, August 24th, 1998, states that the specimen is probably no longer there.
• Eriococcus bahiae Ehrhorn 1906: 330. Type data: UNITED STATES: California, Stevens Creek, on Eriophyllum confertiflorum sp., by E.M. Ehrhorn. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; junior synonym (discovered by MillerMi1992, 87-90). Notes: Two slides from the Ehrhorn Collection labeled "type" are at the USNM.
• Nidularia bahiae (Ehrhorn, 1906); Lindinger 1933a: 108. change of combination (discovered by MillerMi1992, 87-90). Notes: Lindinger (1938d) incorrectly considered N. bezzi to be a synonym of Acanthococcus bahiae.
• Nidularia texanus (King, 1902); Lindinger 1933a: 117. change of combination
• Eriococcus bezzii; Goux 1936a: 352. incorrect synonymy
• Rhizococcus texanus (King, 1902); Hoy 1963: 119. Type depository: St. Petersburg: Zoological Museum, Academy of Science, Russia; change of combination Notes: Hoy (1963) erroneously indicated that King (1902f) described this species in the genus Rhizococcus.
• Acanthococcus texanus (King, 1902); Miller & Miller 1992: 87-80. change of combination Illustr.
• Acanthococcus texensis (King, 1902); Miller & Stocks 2017: 821. misspelling of species epithet

Common Names

• Texas eriococcin MillerMi1993

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 9 | Genera: 14

Associates:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• Gill1993: pp.157 ( Adult (F) ) [Acanthococcus species of California] Key as: Acanthococcus texanus
• MillerMi1992: pp.5 ( Adult (F) ) [Acanthococcus species in western United States] Key as: Acanthococcus texanus
• McDani1964: pp.103 ( Adult (F) ) [Eriococcus species of Texas]
• Ferris1955a: pp.96 ( Adult (F) ) [North American species of Eriococcus]

Remarks

• Systematics: Slide-mounted adult female with: enlarged setae conical, sides straight, some setae slightly curved, apices rounded, 2 or 3 sizes of setae, marginal setae largest, other setae increasing in size anteriorly, 3 or 4 setae on margin of each abdominal segment; ventral multilocular pores predominantly with more than 5 loculi; front tibia with 6 setae; microtubular ducts medium in length, with 2 sclerotized areas (Miller & Miller, 1992). Goux (1936a & b) incorrectly synonomized this species (=E. bahiae) with E. bezzii. Information used to distinguish among E. bezzii, E. bahiae = texanus and E. uvaeursi is given in the remarks of E. uvaeursi. Further, since there is considerable confusion about the status of these species we are considering all of them as distinct species until more detailed studies can be undertaken. Donisthorpe (1927) cites collecting E. bahiae from an ant nest in Sicily. This name has often been used in Europe, but we find no evidence that this species occurs outside of the New World and consider these identifications as erroneous. Miller & Miller (1992) examined specimens from the following localities and indicate that they are not E. texanus: Mexico, Baja California Sur, La Paz, 1919; Punta Pamilla, 1919; San Antonio, 1919; San Pedro, 1919; Todos Santos, 1919; USA, Arizona, near Safford, 1934; California, Big Pine, 1918; near Stanford University, 1917, New Mexico, Mesa, West of Los Cruces, 1918; Texas, Chisos Mountains, 1921; France, Ille de Porque, 1913.
• Structure: Adult female is enclosed in a felted cream colored sac. Body is plump, shiny and dark crimson purple (Ehrhorn, 1906).
• Biology: The species was originally recorded in a Crematogaster punctulatus ant nest (Hoy, 1963).
• General Remarks: Detailed description and illustration in Miller & Miller (1992).

Illustrations

Citations