Valid Names Results

Madarococcus pulchellus (Maskell, 1891) (Eriococcidae: Madarococcus)

Nomenclatural History

• Rhizococcus pulchellus Maskell 1891: 143-144. Type data: NEW ZEALAND: Rimutaka Hills near Wellington, Capleston, Reefton, Picton, on Fagus solandri, ?/08/1889, by W.M. Maskell. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Auckland: New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Landcare Research, New Zealand; Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; accepted valid name Notes: The lectotype slide of this species is labelled: ‘Rhizococcus pulchellus / female 2ndstage / on Fagus solandri / Aug. 1889 W.M.M.’ but the specimen is a young adult female.
• Nidularia pulchellus (Maskell, 1891); Lindinger 1933a: 116. change of combination
• Madarococcus pulchellus (Maskell, 1891); Hoy 1962: 6, 151, 158-9. Type depository: Canberra: Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO Entomology, Australia; Orange: Agricultural Scientific Collections Unit, Orange Agricultural Institute, NSW, Australia; change of combination Illustr.

Common Names

• picturesque rhizococcus Miller1925

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• HardyGuHo2008: pp.375-376 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to species of Madarococcus based on adult females]
• Hoy1962: pp.151 ( Adult (F) ) [New Zealand species of Madarococcus] Key as: Eriococcus pulchellus

Remarks

• Systematics: Slide-mounted adult female with: enlarged setae cylindrical, sides concave, apices rounded, marginal setae slightly larger than other dorsal setae, abundant over surface, 4 to 6 lateral setae on margin of each abdominal segment; suranal setae spatulate; microtubular ducts elongate, without sclerotized area (Hoy, 1962). Madarococcus pulchellus is closely related to M. viridulus, but the two species occur on different hosts (N. solandri and N. fusca, respectively). Both species are characterised by 1, rugose anal lobes, each with a large and conspicuous pit in the dorsal surface near the anterior margin; 2, a complete absence of macrotubular ducts; 3, dorsal body surface densely beset with enlarged setae that in life secrete a glassy wax that forms a tube around the seta and projects from the body, and 4, in life, a light green body colour with patterned areas of white cuticle on the dorsum. M. pulchellus is distinguished by having the size of the dorsal setae vary continuously, in contrast to the dorsal setae in M. viridulus that cluster into two discrete size classes. (Hardy, et al., 2008)
• Structure: Adult female is pale green in color, not forming sac, but with fringe of waxen tubes and upstanding cover of similar tubes on dorsum. The tubes are associated with enlarged setae (Hoy, 1962).
• Biology: This species occurs on the underside of host plant leaves (Hoy, 1962). Hoy (1962) also states that "...Maskell reported this species from Nothofagus fusca, N. menziesii and N. cliffortioides on Rimutaka Hills near Wellington, Capleston, Reefton and Picton. The only mounted material in the Maskell collection is from N. solandri, a host plant not mentioned in his description. Maskell duplicate material labelled Rhizococcus pulchellus contains two species, that from N. solandri being M. pulchellus, material from N. fusca being a separate as yet undescribed species. In view of more recent collecting it is presumed M. pulchellus occurs only on N. solandri varieties."
• General Remarks: Detailed description and illustration by Hoy (1962).

Illustrations

Citations