Valid Names Results

Dactylopius austrinus De Lotto, 1974 (Dactylopiidae: Dactylopius)

Nomenclatural History

• Dactylopius austrinus De Lotto 1974a: 174. Type data: SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Province, on Opuntia aurantiaca. Holotype, female, by original designation Type depository: Pretoria: South African National Collection of Insects, South Africa; accepted valid name Illustr.

Common Names

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• DeHaroCl1995: pp.16-17 ( Adult (F) ) [world]
• PerezGKo1992: pp.35-36 ( Adult (F) ) [Species of Dactylopius]
• DeLott1974a: pp.173-174 ( Adult (F) ) [world]

Remarks

• Structure: Gunn (1978) described for the first time sexual dimorphism in crawlers of this species, and in the Dactylopiidae.
• Biology: Life history of the male and female in South Africa studied and described by Moran & Cobby (1979). Hosking (1984) studied the effect of temperature on the population growth potential of this scale, on Opuntia aurantiaca in Australia.
• Economic Importance: Imported for the biological control of jointed cactus, Opuntia aurantiaca in South Africa (Moran & Cobby, 1979), where it is regarded the primary biocontrol agent (Moran & Zimmermann, 1991). Introduced into Australia for the biological control of tiger pear, Opuntia aurantiaca (Hosking, 1984).
• General Remarks: Description and illustration of adult female by Perez Guerra & Kosztarab (1992). Portillo (1995) distinguished between the fine cochineal species Dactylopius coccus and a group of wild cochineal species comprising D. austrinus, D. ceylonicus, D. confertus, D. confusus, D. opuntiae, D. salmianus, D. tomentosus and D. zimmermani.

Illustrations

Citations