Ceroputo mimicus (McKenzie) comb. nov. Puto mimicus McKenzie, 1967: 352. The original collection of this species was on Encelia frutescens (Asteraceae) in Imperial County and on Petalonyx thurberi (Loasaceae) from Riverside County, both in California, U.S.A. We also have seen specimens in the USNM from Travertine Rock, Imperial County, California, on Hymenoclea salsola (Asteraceae), and from Thermal, Riverside County, California, on Ambrosia psilostachya (Asteraceae). Williams and Granara de Willink (1992) commented on this species and decided that it might not belong to the genus Puto. Character states that seem to exclude this species from Puto are: the campaniform sensilla on the trochanters are always two in number on each surface, the antennal intersegmental sensilla are tiny and present only between segments VI and VII, the tubular ducts on the frons are absent, and quinquelocular pores are present on the venter. Character states that it shares with species of Puto are the possession of a pair of minute basal spurs on each claw. Despite some conflicting evidence, we conclude that this species does not belong to Puto and transfer it to Ceroputo.

Published as part of Han, Sarah I., 2011, A study of the scale insect genera Puto Signoret (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea: Putoidae) and Ceroputo Šulc (Pseudococcidae) with a comparison to Phenacoccus Cockerell (Pseudococcidae), pp. 1-22 in Zootaxa 2802 on page 15, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.207286