ERIOCHITON AND A NEW GENUS OF THE SCALE INSECT FAMILY ERIOCOCCIDAE (HOMOPTERA, COCCOIDEA)

This paper considers the relationships of the genus Eriochiton, previo usly placed in the Coccidae. The adult females of E. hispidus and E. s pinosus are redescribed, and the crawler and second-instar males and f emales are described for the first time. In addition, three new specie s are described along with their available immature stages. One of the se new species is placed in a new genus Neoeriochiton, close to Erioch iton. The morphology of these two genera indicates that they are membe rs of the Eriococcidae belonging to a new tribe, the Eriochitonini, su bfamily Eriococcinae. It is considered that they may illustrate the ev olutionary events leading to the position and structure of the anal pl ates in the Coccidae, although the presence of anal plates in the Erio chitonini is thought to be due to parallel evolution. Other points dis cussed are: the importance of the structure of immature stages in the taxonomy of scale insects, features considered to be diagnostic for th e Coccidae and the segmentation of the abdomen.