Valid Names Results

Ericerus pela (Chavannes, 1848) (Coccidae: Ericerus)

Nomenclatural History

• Coccus pela Chavannes 1848: 144. Type data: CHINA: Location and host plant of type material not indicated. Syntypes, unknown, accepted valid name Notes: Type material probably lost (Ben-Dov, 1993).
• Coccus sinensis Walker 1852: 1085. Type data: CHINA:. Syntypes, both sexes, Type depository: London: The Natural History Museum, England, UK; junior synonym (discovered by Green1904c, 374).
• Coccus cereus Walker 1852: 1087. replacement name that is unjustified (discovered by BenDov1993, 109).
• Coccus sinensis Westwood 1853: 95. Type data: CHINA: probably Shanghai, host plant of type material not indicated.. Syntypes, both sexes, Type depository: Oxford: Hope Entomological Collections, University Museum, England; junior synonym (discovered by Westwo1853a, 532). Notes: Unmounted syntypes are available at the Natural History Museum, Oxford, UK (Yair Ben-Dov, visit at OXUM, on December 15, 2002).
• Ericerus ceriferus; Guérin-Méneville 1858: lxvii. misidentification
• Pela cerifera Targioni Tozzetti 1866: 140. replacement name that is unjustified (discovered by BenDov1993, 109).
• Ericerus pela; Signoret 1869c: 102. subsequent use Notes: Incorrect citation of "Westwood" as author.
• Eulecanium potanini Borchsenius 1955a: 297. Type data: CHINA: Sinan Province, on undetermined plant.. Syntypes, female, Type depository: St. Petersburg: Zoological Museum, Academy of Science, Russia; junior synonym (discovered by Danzig1967, 167).
• Ericerus pe-la (Chavannes, 1848); Wu 2001b: 256. misspelling of species epithet

Common Names

• China wax scale insect BenDov1993
• china wax scale insect BenDov1993
• Chinese scale BenDov1993
• chinese scale BenDov1993
• pela scale BenDov1993

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 1 | Genera: 4

Foes:

Families: 2 | Genera: 3

Associates:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• Hodgso2020: pp.221-223 ( Adult (M) ) [Coccidae species]
• Borchs1957: pp.389 ( Adult (F) ) [Palaearctic region]

Remarks

• Systematics: Subfamily: Eulecaniinae (Choi & Lee, 2019)
• Structure: See colour photograph in Kawai (1980, Figs. 6.55, a,b). The differences in wax glands and wax secretion between females and males reflect their different needs for living habitats and different ecological strategies. Sciophilous male nymphs are with five types of wax glands, and the wax glands on the dorsum secrete a layer of wax filaments plausibly for protection against direct light irradiation. On the other hand, five types of wax glands were found on the abdomen of females. Heliophilous female nymphs hardly secrete any wax, but the wax glands located along the spiracle on the abdomen may help this insect to breathe. Female adults secrete wax filaments on eggs to protect them from predators and prevent themselves from sticking to each other. Males appear to secrete wax for creating a shaded niche that fits their sciophilous life style, whereas females are likely to adopt an ecological strategy with thickened epidermis for heliophilous acclimatization and overwintering. (Qi, et al., 2019)
• Biology: A biparental species, which develops one annual generation in Japan (Kuwana, 1923b), Russia, Vladivostok region (Danzig, 1965, 1967, 1980b) and in China (Li, 1985). The annual life cycle described by Danzig (1980b). The main ecological characteristics for suitable growth areas of E. pela are described as annual average temperatures of between 11° and 16°C, light 1900 to 2500 h/a (hours per year), rainfall 800 to 1200 mm, and annual relative humidity between 65 and 75% (Chen et al., 2007). The distribution area exhibits different climate conditions, with the highest temperate being 44°C in the summer in Chongqing city and the lowest temperature being below −30°C in the winter in Changchun city. E. pela can establish populations and survive and reproduce normally in these conditions. This insect can survive the extremely low winter temperatures in Northeast China and can resist the drastic decrease in temperature in autumn and winter. (Zhang, et al., 2021)
• Economic Importance: A comprehensive account on the life history and commercial breeding was presented by Li (1985). The wax secreted by the male nymphs is harvested in China and processed to produce the China wax, a commodity of considerable economic value in China (Li, 1985; Qin, 1997).
• General Remarks: Good description and illustration of the adult female have been given by Danzig (1980b), Tang (1991) and by Hodgson (1994a). Good description of the adult female given by Borchsenius (1957).

Illustrations

Citations