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Issue: Vol. 5821 No. 1: 28 May 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-05-28
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5821.1.10
Page range: 142-150
Abstract views: 31
PDF downloaded: 0

Redescription of a poorly known soft scale insect, Pulvinaria ixorae Green (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from India, with biological notes and a new distribution record

Department of Agricultural Entomology; M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture; Centurion University of Technology and Management; Paralakhemundi-761211; Odisha; India
Department of Agricultural Entomology; M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture; Centurion University of Technology and Management; Paralakhemundi-761211; Odisha; India
Department of Agricultural Entomology; Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya; Mohanpur; Nadia-741252; West Bengal; India
Department of Agricultural Entomology; Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya; Mohanpur; Nadia-741252; West Bengal; India
Department of Agricultural Entomology; Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya; Mohanpur; Nadia-741252; West Bengal; India
Hemiptera Sternorrhyncha Coccoidea new host-plant record natural enemies attendant ant Odisha

Abstract

Pulvinaria ixorae Green, 1909 is a soft scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) originally described from Sri Lanka and later recorded from other parts of the Indian subcontinent, but its diagnostic characteristics, distribution, and ecology remain inadequately documented. In the present study, the adult female of P. ixorae is redescribed in detail, based on fresh specimens collected from Odisha, India, and is illustrated from slide-mounted specimens, to facilitate accurate identification and to distinguish it from other closely related members of Pulvinaria. Ecological observations are also given, including the host-plant association, a predatory natural enemy (Jauravia sp., Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and the relationship between P. ixorae and an attendant ant. The redescription and new information provide a better understanding of the taxonomy and ecology of this potentially economically important soft scale species.

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How to Cite

Das, A., Ravindranath, N., Ravi, G., Pramanik, A. & Das, B.K. (2026) Redescription of a poorly known soft scale insect, Pulvinaria ixorae Green (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) from India, with biological notes and a new distribution record. Zootaxa, 5821 (1), 142–150. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5821.1.10