Biogeography of the wax scales (Insecta: Hemiptera: Coccidae: Ceroplastinae)

The modern and native distributions of wax scales are documented and an area cladogram including seventy species is presented. Wax scales are distributed worldwide, but most species are native to either South America or Africa. Their native distribution pattern is discussed in relation to their host...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of biogeography 1998-01, Vol.25 (1), p.37-45
Main Authors: Gullan, Ting-Kui, Beattie, Andrew
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Patterns
Biogeography
Biological and medical sciences
Center of origin
Ceroplastinae
Cladistics
Coccidae
Continents
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Geographical distribution
Hemiptera
Host plants
Insecta
insects
Invertebrates
Oceans
origin
origin, wax scales
Scale insects
Systematics. Geographical distribution
Taxa
wax scales
Waxes
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The modern and native distributions of wax scales are documented and an area cladogram including seventy species is presented. Wax scales are distributed worldwide, but most species are native to either South America or Africa. Their native distribution pattern is discussed in relation to their host-plant specificity and to the dispersal and vicariance theories of biogeography. The vicariance theory is preferred, because the pattern can be explained satisfactorily by plate tectonics but not by dispersal from a centre of origin. The wax scale group probably originated in the combined South American-African continent at least 97 million yr ago.
ISSN:0305-0270
1365-2699
DOI:10.1046/j.1365-2699.1998.251178.x