Valid Names Results

Beesonia ferrugineus (Froggatt, 1921) (Beesoniidae: Beesonia)

Sphaerococcus ferrugineus Froggatt 1921b: 10. Type data: AUSTRALIA: northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, on Melaleuca.. Syntypes, female, by subsequent designation Type depository: Canberra: Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO Entomology, Australia; accepted valid name
Beesonia ferrugineus (Froggatt, 1921); Miller, Gullan & Williams 1998: 291. change of combination

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Countries: 1

Systematics: Miller et al. (1998) studied this species and indicated that its correct family placement was questionable. It forms very distinctive galls that resemble those formed by species of Beesoniidae. Mature females have shallowly invaginated quinquelocular pores (like in species of Beesoniidae and some Eriococcidae) and large bases to the clypeolabral shield (like Beesoniidae). While assigning this species to the Beesoniidae, Miller et al. (1998) indicated that young adult females and first-instar nymph are needed before the family placement can be confirmed. Miller et al. (1998) clearly assigned this species to the Beesoniidae but with no generic placement. For technical reasons the sepcies is placed in the type genus of Beesoniidae.
Structure: Froggatt (1921b) described the galls formed by this species as "Forming reddish brown to dull green rounded fluffy excrescenses, composed of many fine filaments or bracts radiating from the basal gall, on the side or tip of the branches of several species of Melaleuca ...". The adult female was described by Froggatt (1921b) as "... dark reddish-brown, marked with dull yellow on the dorsal surface, and is embedded in the central woody cavity. General form oval, dorsal surface conical ...".