Who first described the cottony cushion scale (Icerya purchasi) in 1878?

Who first described the cottony cushion scale (Icerya purchasi) in 1878?

• A. Alfred Russel Wallace
• B. William Maskell
• C. James Watson
• D. Jean-Henri Fabre

Answer: (B)

In taxonomy, credit for a species name goes to the scientist who first published a formal description of that species. For Icerya purchasi, the first valid description was published in 1878 by William Miles Maskell, a New Zealand entomologist who specialized in scale insects. His work established the name and basic characteristics of the cottony cushion scale, which later became a well-known citrus pest worldwide. The other individuals listed were prominent figures in biology, but none of them authored the original description of this species.

In taxonomy, credit for a species name goes to the scientist who first published a formal description of that species. For Icerya purchasi, the first valid description was published in 1878 by William Miles Maskell, a New Zealand entomologist who specialized in scale insects. His work established the name and basic characteristics of the cottony cushion scale, which later became a well-known citrus pest worldwide. The other individuals listed were prominent figures in biology, but none of them authored the original description of this species.