Taxonomic review of three species of the genus Pseudococcus Westwood, 1840 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) found in Okinawa Island, Japan, with description of a new species

Three mealybug species belonging to the genus Pseudococcus Westwood, 1840 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae), namely P. cryptus Hempel, 1918, P. odermatti Miller & Williams, 1997 and P. okinawaensis Tanaka & Choi sp. nov., are recorded from Okinawa Island, Japan for the first time. Each species is described based on the morphological characteristics of the adult female. Specimens of P. cryptus from Okinawa Island differ slightly from those in other published descriptions of the species; the difference is regarded as intraspecific morphological variation.

Molecular phylogenetic analysis indicates that P. odermatti is closely related to P. comstocki (Kuwana, 1902). Further detailed morphological and molecular studies are needed to define the species status of P. odermatti, although its taxonomic position is retained in the present study. Pseudococcus okinawaensis Tanaka & Choi sp. nov. is similar to P. gilbertensis Beardsley, 1966 and P. ogasawarensis Kawai, 1973, but differs from them in having many more discoidal pores associated with the dorsal oral rim and oral collar tubular ducts.

Molecular phylogenetic analyses were used to investigate the phylogenetic placement of the three species. A key to the species of Pseudococcus Westwood, 1840, found on Okinawa Island is provided.