Kermesidae
Family of true bugs
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kermesidae, or gall-like scales, are a family of scale insects belonging to the superfamily Coccoidea. The type genus, Kermes, includes the kermes scale insects, from which a red dye, also called kermes (a.k.a. crimson), is obtained.[1] The family includes about 100 species in 10 genera found in the Nearctic, Indomalayan and Palaearctic realms.[1]
| Kermesidae | |
|---|---|
| |
| Nidularia balachowskii | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Sternorrhyncha |
| Superfamily: | Coccoidea |
| Family: | Kermesidae |
| Genera | |
The first instars of some species in the USA are called "crawlers".[2] They are less than 0.5 millimetres (0.020 in) long, salmon-colored, and wingless with well-developed legs.[2] As adults, they demonstrate significant sexual dimorphism. Males are gnat-like with fragile wings, while females are bulbous with reduced legs and antennas, and are easily mistaken for buds or galls.[2]
Genera
These genera belong to the Kermesidae:
- Allokermes Bullington & Kosztarab, 1985
- Eriokermes Miller & Miller, 1993
- Fulbrightia Ferris, 1950
- Kermes Latreille, 1798
- Nanokermes Bullington & Kosztarab, 1985
- Nidularia Targioni-Tozzetti, 1868
- Olliffiella Cockerell, 1896
- Physeriococcus Borchsenius, 1959
- Reynvaania Reynvaania Reyne, 1954
- Sucinikermes Sucinikermes Koteja, 1988
