Physokermes are a genus of scale insects known as the bud scales. They are restricted to the Holarctic,[1] though Physokermes hemicryphus has been introduced to North America.[2] Some species are plant pests.

Physokermes
Bud scales
Scientific classification
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Physokermes

Targioni Tozzetti 1868
Species

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Morphology

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Pre-reproductive females are membranous and reddish-brown, once females begin to lay eggs they are globular or kidney-shaped become light to dark brown, and eventually heavily sclerotized.[3] The adult females resemble the bud of their coniferous hosts,[4] hence the name bud scale.

Physokermes are difficult to identify to species, as only pre-reproductive females can be used.[4] Once females begin to oviposit, their bodies become distorted and it is not possible to detect the morphological features necessary to identify them to species.

Species

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There are 13 described species in the genus Physokermes:[3]

References

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  1. ^ Kozar, F; Gounari, S; Hodgson, C; Fetyk, K; Goras, G. "A new species of Physokermes Targioni Tozzetti (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Coccidae) from Greece". Zootaxa. 3566: 23=28. Retrieved 26 June 2018.
  2. ^ Furniss, Malcolm M (2004). "Observations on an introduced bud scale, Physokermes hemicryphus (Homoptera: Coccidae), infesting Norway spruce in Idaho". Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 34 (6): 1348–1352. doi:10.1139/x04-016. ISSN 0045-5067.
  3. ^ a b García Morales, M; Denno, BD; Miller, DR; Ben-Dov, Y; Hardy, NB (2016). "Physokermes entry on scalenet". ScaleNet: A literature-based model of scale insect biology and systematics. Database. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
  4. ^ a b Malumphy, C (2009). "Confirmation of the presence of small spruce bud scale, Physokermes hemicryphus (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Coccidae), in Britain". British Journal of Entomology and Natural History. 22 (1): 15–22.