Putoidae

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Paraneoptera
Superordo: Condylognatha
Ordo: Hemiptera
Subordo: Sternorrhyncha
Superfamilia: Coccoidea

Familia: Putoidae
Genera: Puto – †Palaeotupo
References

Koteja, J.; Azar, D. 2008: Scale insects from Lower Cretaceous amber of Lebanon (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccinea). Alavesia, 2: 133–167. PDF
Moghaddam, M. 2013: A review of the mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae, Putoidae and Rhizoecidae) of Iran, with descriptions of four new species and three new records for the Iranian fauna. Zootaxa 3632(1): 1–107. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3632.1.1 Reference page.

Putoidae is a family of scale insects commonly known as giant mealybugs or putoids . There is probably a single genus, Puto, containing about sixty species.[1] The genus name Macrocerococcus has also been used but it is now considered to be a synonym of Puto.[2] The genus Puto was formerly classified as a member of the Pseudococcidae;[3] however, it so significantly differed from the rest of the Pseudococcidae that it was accorded its own family Putoidae.[4][5]

Hosts

Giant mealybugs occur on a wide range of hosts, each species having its own specific host. Host plants commonly include conifers, grasses and various woody shrubs. All parts of the plant can be infested.[2]
Description

The adult female is oval and up to five millimetres long and concealed by tufts of powdery white wax. If the wax is removed, two longitudinal black stripes can be seen on the upper surface of the body and the wax glands are large and conspicuous. The legs and antennae are well developed and a dark colour.[2]
Life cycle

There are generally four instars in the female and five in the male. In many species there is a single generation each year and the first instar is the over-wintering stage.[2] Puto sandini however takes four years to complete its life cycle.[6]
Species

Puto antennatus Sign., 1875 ("conifer mealybug")[7][8]

References

Beardsley, John W. (1969). "A new fossil scale insect (Homoptera: Coccoidea) from Canadian amber". Psyche. 76 (3): 270–279. doi:10.1155/1969/82354.
"Family: Putoidae". USDA Agricultural Research Service. Archived from the original on October 11, 2010. Retrieved February 22, 2011.
"Puto: Names". Encyclopedia of Life. April 2013. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2013.
Ben-Dov, Yair (1994), A systematic catalogue of the mealybugs of the world (Insecta: Homoptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae and Putoidae) with data on geographical distribution, host plants, biology and economic importance, Andover, Hampshire, UK: Intercept Limited, ISBN 978-1-898298-07-6
Williams, D. J.; et al. (2011). "A study of the scale insect genera Puto Signoret (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea: Putoidae) and Ceroputo Šulc (Pseudococcidae) with a comparison to Phenacoccus Cockerell (Pseudococcidae)" (PDF). Zootaxa. 2802: 22. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2802.1.1. hdl:1885/63136. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 February 2013.
R. I. Washburn (1965). "Description and bionomics of a new species of Puto from Utah (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae)". Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 58 (3): 293–297. doi:10.1093/aesa/58.3.293.
Signoret, V. (1875) "Essai sur les cochenilles ou gallinsectes (Homoptères - Coccides), 15e partie" Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (serie 5)
Reyne, A. (1954). "A redescription of Puto antennatus Sign. (Homoptera: Coccidea); with notes on Ceroputo pilosellae Sulc and Macrocerococcus superbus Leon". Zoologische Mededelingen. 32 (24): 291–324. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013.