Valid Names Results

Acanthomytilus sacchari (Hall, 1923) (Diaspididae: Acanthomytilus)

Nomenclatural History

• Lepidosaphes sacchari Hall 1923: 23-24. Type data: EGYPT: Giza and Embaba, on Saccharum officinarum. Holotype, female, Type depository: London: The Natural History Museum, England, UK; accepted valid name Illustr.
• Mytilococcus sacchari (Hall, 1923); Lindinger 1936: 159. change of combination
• Acanthomytilus sacchari (Hall, 1923); Balachowsky 1954e: 108. change of combination

Common Names

• saccharum scale AbdRabEv2021

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 2 | Genera: 10

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• Watson2002a: pp. ( Adult (F) ) [Expert system on a CD.]
• EzzatAf1966: pp.18 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to adult females of Acanthomytilus]
• Ezzat1958: pp.245 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to adult female Lepidosaphes] Key as: Lepidosaphes sacchari
• Balach1954e: pp.105 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to Palearctic Acanthomytilus]

Remarks

• Systematics: This species is similar to Acanthomytilus intermittens and A. jablonowskii (Kozár & Matile-Ferrero, 1983).
• Structure: Scale of adult female, similar in shape to that of Lepidosaphes ulmi, convex and light brown in color. Exuviae pale straw colored, the second exuviae being about one third the length of the entire scale. Secretionary covering thin, semi transparent brown. Ventral scale thin, undivided, but very easily ruptured. Male scale similar in color to the female, but only slightly broadened posteriorly. In some examples the sides are sub-parallel. Length of adult female 2-3mm. Adult female elongate, narrowed and somewhat chitinized anteriorly, segmentation distinct, antennae reduced to minute tubercles carrying 2 stout bristles and a hair. Anterior spiracles with 6 or 7 parastigmatic glands. Free abdominal segments with tubular spinnerets in the marginal area and the posterior abdominal segments with a few short bulbous spine-like glandular structures. Pygidium broadly rounded. Circumgenital glands in 5 groups: median 8-13, anterior laterals 15-21, posterior laterals 11-16. Median lobes small, rounded and widely set apart, second lobes similar in shape, but smaller, other lobes wanting. There are 5 large and conspicuous marginal pores on either side of the median lobes and three tooth-like projections. Dorsal tubular spinnerets numerous and arranged in three distinct series of broken arches and three intermediate broken series. Spiniform squamae conspicuous: one pair between the median lobes, 2 between the median and second lobe and 3 between the second lobe and first tooth-like projection; of these 3 the median is the longest (Hall, 1923).
• Biology: Scales appear on sugarcane in early May, peaking in the third week of September. Significantly more scales are found on the upper leaf surface than the lower and on the middle third of the leaf. Reproduction peaked in early september. In an outf\door insectary, four generations occurred between late July and mid-December. The shortest generation time was 27 days occurred at an average temperature of 29.0° C. (Watson and El-Serwy, 2008)
• General Remarks: Detailed description and illustration by Hall (1923). Watson (2002a) included this species in a expert system on a CD.

Illustrations

Citations