Investigations on the immature stages of some species of Eulecaniinae (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae).

The dependence on adult female morphology for the determination of soft scale insect species (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Coccidae) creates several problems. In this paper, various nymphal stages of soft scale insects from the Ankara district of Trkiye and Israel, belonging to Coccidae: subfamily Eulecaniinae, namely Eulecanium cerasorum (Cockerell), E. ciliatum (Douglas), E. tiliae (Linnaeus), Paleolecanium bituberculatum (Signoret), Physokermes piceae (Schrank) and Rhodoccus perornatus (Cockerell & Parrott) were studied. The morphology of all the nymphal stages of these species is described and illustrated, and identification keys are provided to each instar. The results show that nymphal stages can be used to accurately identify soft scale insect species.

A taxonomic revision of the Kermesidae (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) in Israel, with a description of a new species.

A taxonomic revision is presented of the six Kermesidae species from Israel, namely, Kermes echinatus Balachowsky, K. greeni Bodenheimer, K. nahalali Bodenheimer, K. spatulatus Balachowsky, Nidularia balachowskii Bodenheimer, and K. hermonensis Spodek & Ben-Dov sp. n. Kermes bytinskii Sternlicht, syn. n. is established as a junior synonym of K. nahalali Bodenheimer and a lectotype for K. nahalali is designated. This study includes descriptions, redescriptions and illustrations of the adult female, adult male and all developmental stages for these six species. Keys are provided to distinguish between instars, adult females, adult males and immature stages for all species.

Morphology of the first-instar nymph and adult female of Kermes echinatus Balachowsky, with a comparison to K. vermilio Planchon (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Kermesidae).

Thefirst-instar nymph and the adult female of Kermes echinatus Balachowsky (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Kermesidae) are described and illustrated. This species is compared with Kermes vermilio Planchon, a morphologically similar species known in the Palaeractic region.

Morphological and molecular taxonomy of Nidularia balachowskii Bodenheimer (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Kermesidae) with notes on its life history in Israel.

Descriptions and illustrations of the adult female and first-instar nymph of the kermesid Nidularia balachowskii Bodenheimer, based on the adult female lectotype and paralectotype (here designated), and new material collected from Israel are presented. A key for the identification of first-instar nymphs of Nidularia spp. is offered. Molecular identification of Nidularia balachowskii, using nucleotide sequences from the D2-D3 region of the 28S ribosomal gene, and the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase I (COI) gene, is presented. Morphological and molecular analyses confirm that Nidularia balachowskii is closely related to other species within the Kermesidae. In Israel, this species develops only on Quercus ithaburensis and is univoltine. This is the first detailed report of Nidulariabalachowskii from Israel.