Puto (bug)

Puto is a genus of insects described as giant mealybugs, although it is the only extant genus in different family Putoidae; it was originally described by Victor Antoine Signoret in 1875.

Hosts
Giant mealybugs occur on a wide range of hosts, each species having its own specific host. Host plants commonly include conifers, grasses and various woody shrubs. All parts of the plant can be infested.

Description
The adult female is oval and up to five millimetres long and concealed by tufts of powdery white wax. If the wax is removed, two longitudinal black stripes can be seen on the upper surface of the body and the wax glands are large and conspicuous. The legs and antennae are well developed and a dark colour.

Life cycle
There are generally four instars in the female and five in the male. In many species there is a single generation each year and the first instar is the overwintering stage. Puto sandini however takes four years to complete its life cycle.

Species
The current scientific consensus appears to be based on the two sugenus proposal by Gavrilov-Zimin & Danzig; the following species, recorded from the Americas, mainland Europe and SE Asia, are included in BioLib.cz (as separate genera):

Puto subgenus Ceroputo
Authority: Šulc, 1897
 * 1) Puto (Ceroputo) graminis
 * 2) Puto (Ceroputo) liquidambaris
 * 3) Puto (Ceroputo) mimicus
 * 4) Puto (Ceroputo) pilosellae  ("hairy mealybug")
 * 5) Puto (Ceroputo) vaccinii

Puto subgenus Puto
Authority: Signoret, 1875 - list incomplete:


 * Puto antennatus ("conifer mealybug")
 * Puto acirculus
 * Puto albicans
 * Puto ambigua
 * Puto ambiguus
 * Puto antennatus
 * Puto antioquensis
 * Puto arctostaphyli
 * Puto atriplicis
 * Puto barberi
 * Puto borealis
 * Puto brunnitarsis
 * Puto bryanthi
 * Puto calcitectus
 * Puto californicus
 * Puto cupressi
 * Puto decorosus
 * Puto echinatus
 * Puto euphorbiaefolius
 * Puto israelensis
 * Puto janetscheki
 * Puto kosztarabi
 * Puto lasiorum
 * Puto laticribellum
 * Puto mexicanus
 * Puto marsicanus
 * Puto mimicus
 * Puto nulliporus
 * Puto orientalis
 * Puto pacificus
 * Puto palinuri
 * Puto pricei
 * Puto profusus
 * Puto sandini
 * Puto simmondsiae
 * Puto superbus
 * Puto yuccae