(Homoptera: Coccoidea: Diaspididae)
Issue No. 214
Avas B. Hamon
May, 1980
Introduction
Opuntiaspis philococcus (Cockerell) was originally described as Mytilaspis philococcus by Cockerell (1893:252) on cactus from Mexico. The taxonomy of this genus is somewhat unstable, but it appears there are possibly 3 species; Opuntiaspis carinata (Cockerell) which occurs on Beaucarnea recurvata Lem. in Florida (Hamon 1978), O. javanensis Green on Xanthorrhoea arborea R. Br. (These specimens have more dorsal macroducts than type material, personal communication from Steve Nakahara.) collected once in Florida, and O. philococcus on cactus has been intercepted recently by the Division of Plant Industry.