THE IDENTITY AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE MEALYBUG SPECIES NIPAECOCCUS FILAMENTOSUS (COCKERELL) (HEMIPTERA: PSEUDOCOCCIDAE)

The mealybug Nipaecoccus filamentosus (Cockerell) was described originally as Dactylopius filamentosus Cockerell from South Caicos Island in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It has been listed in error from the Bahamas and from Mexico and the mealybug name wrongly applied to a similar species now known as Nipaecoccus viridis (Maskell). Furthermore, the name Dactylopius filamentosus, as first applied by Cockerell, has been recorded in error from various localities in the Old World because of erroneous synonymy early in the 19th century. The mealybug species N. filamentosus has neither been described nor illustrated adequately since it was first named over 100 years ago and its identity has remained obscure. We now describe and illustrate this mealybug and confirm that it is a local species occurring in the Caribbean area only.