Valid Names Results

Acutaspis albopicta (Cockerell, 1898) (Diaspididae: Acutaspis)

Nomenclatural History

Aspidiotus (Chrysomphalus) albopictus Cockerell 1898j: 433. Type data: MEXICO: Cuernavaca, on leaves of orange; collected December 8, 1897.. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; accepted valid name
Aspidiotus albopictus leonis Townsend & Cockerell 1898: 179. Type data: MEXICO: Nuevo Leon, Linares, on leaves of orange. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; junior synonym (discovered by Ferris1941e, 45).
Aspidiotus koebelei Townsend & Cockerell 1898: 179. Type data: MEXICO: Oaxaca State, Oaxaca, on leaves of orange.. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; junior synonym (discovered by Ferris1941e, 44).
Chrysomphalus albopictus (Cockerell, 1898); Cockerell 1899a: 396. change of combination
Chrysomphalus albopictus leonis (Townsend & Cockerell, 1898); Cockerell 1899a: 396. change of combination
Chrysomphalus koebelei (Townsend & Cockerell, 1898); Cockerell 1899a: 396. change of combination
Aspidiotus albopictus Cockerell, 1898; Cockerell 1905: 46. change of combination
Aspidiotus leonis Townsend & Cockerell, 1898; McKenzie 1939: 53. change of combination and rank
Acutaspis albopicta (Cockerell, 1898); Ferris 1941d: 329. change of combination requiring emendation of specific epithet for agreement in gender

Common Names

albopicta scale McKenz1956

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 16 | Genera: 21

Apocynaceae

Tabernaemontana | McKenz1956

Araceae

Aglaonema | Gill1997
Philodendron | Gill1997 McKenz1956

Araliaceae

Plerandra elegantissima | JansenAl2023

Arecaceae

Cocos nucifera | Ferris1941d McKenz1956
Phoenix roebelenii | JansenAl2023

Asparagaceae

Beaucarnea | JansenAl2023

Bromeliaceae

Tillandsia | Gill1997

Dipterocarpaceae

Dipterocarpus | JansenAl2023
Shorea | JansenAl2023

Ebenaceae

Diospyros texana | McDani1968 | (= Brayodendron texanum)

Fabaceae

Abarema barbouriana | PetersHaMo2020s1
Inga | Ferris1941d McKenz1956
Inga chocoensis | PetersHaMo2020s1

Lauraceae

Ocotea insularis | PetersHaMo2020s1 | (= Ocotea ira)
Persea americana | McKenz1956

Menispermaceae

Hyperbaena denticulata | Ferris1941d McKenz1956

Musaceae

Musa paradisiaca | McKenz1956

Oleaceae

Ligustrum vulgare | McDani1968

Primulaceae

Jacquinia | Ferris1941d McKenz1956

Rubiaceae

Gardenia jasminoides | McKenz1956

Rutaceae

Citrus | Ferris1941d McKenz1956

Foes:

Families: 3 | Genera: 4

Aphelinidae

Aphytis holoxanthus | LazaroGoRo2023
Aphytis lepidosaphes | LazaroGoRo2023
Aphytis lingnanensis | LazaroGoRo2023
Aphytis melinus | LazaroGoRo2023
Paraphytis acutaspidis | RosenDe1979

Encyrtidae

Pseudhomalopoda prima | LazaroGoRo2023

Signiphoridae

Signiphora | LazaroGoRo2023
Signiphora flavella | LazaroGoRo2023

Geographic Distribution

Countries: 10

Brazil

Rio de Janeiro | RosenDe1979

Costa Rica | Nakaha1982

Ecuador | YustCe1956

Guatemala | Nakaha1982

Honduras | Nakaha1982

Mexico | Cocker1899n SchneiOkNo2018

Colima | Ferris1941d
Guerrero | Ferris1941d
Jalisco | LazaroGoRo2023
Morelos | Ferris1941d
Nuevo Leon | Ferris1941d TownseCo1898
Oaxaca | Ferris1941d TownseCo1898
Quintana Roo | NormarOkMo2019
Sinaloa | Ferris1941d
Tamaulipas | NormarOkMo2019

Netherlands | JansenAl2023

Panama | Ferris1941d

Peru | VasqueDeCo2002

United States

California | McKenz1956
Texas | McDani1968

Keys

LazaroGoRo2023: pp.247-248 ( Adult (F) ) [Armored scale species on avocado in central Mexico]
WeiScNo2021: pp.17-23 ( Adult (F) ) [Aspidiotini from Panama]
EvansWaMi2009: pp.63-67 ( Adult (F) ) [Diaspididae species found on avocado]
McKenz1956: pp.23 ( Adult (F) ) [U.S.A.: California]
Ferris1942: pp.29 ( Adult (F) ) [North America]
Cocker1905: pp.45-46 ( Adult (F) ) [Mexico]

Remarks

Systematics: Acutaspis albopicta can be confused with Ac. scutiformis because of the similar color and shape of the scale cover; morphologically, in slide mounts, these species can be differentiated by the relative sizes of the paraphyses on L2. In Ac. albopicta, the paraphysis on the external angle of L2 is almost twice the size of that on the internal angle, whereas in Ac. scutiformis these two paraphyses are almost the same size or the external paraphysis is only slightly larger than the internal one. (Lazaro, et al., 2023)
Structure: Scale of the female of the type common to the genus, circular or slightly oval, dark brown; that of the male similar (Ferris, 1941d). Adult female scale cover circular to slightly oval, flat, or slightly convex, and rigid, 1.2‒1.5 mm in diameter, with subcentral exuviae; cover usually dark brown but sometimes gray or grayish white, mainly in immatures. Adult female body pyriform with acute posterior end, white to creamy white in life, about 1.2 mm long. (Lazaro, et al., 2023)
Biology: Occurring on the leaves of the host (Ferris, 1941d). On branches, leaves and fruits of Avocado trees (Persea americana). It has been found on the avocado varieties Fuerte, Hass and Hass-Méndez.(Lazaro, et al., 2023)
Economic Importance: McKenzie (1956: 37) recorded this species from some Californian nurseries, and assumed that it has been established in California. However, Gill (1997: 40) and Gillian Watson (2007, in personal communication to Yair Ben-Dov) informed that this species has never been found in California since 1960, and has never become established in this State. Subsequent to a review conducted by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2007, which concluded that these armored scale insects posed a low risk of establishment, the California Department of Food and Agriculture was forced to issue a Pest Exclusion Advisory notifying inspectors at border stations that they could no longer reject commercial shipments of avocados because of the presence of armored scale (Morse et al. 2009). Since that time, Mexican Hass avocados infested with exotic scales have been allowed free access into California, with no requirements for disinfestation treatments.Morse et al (2009) presented abundant evidence that shipments of Mexican Hass avocados were infested with a number of armored scale species, including Acustaspis albopicta (Cockerell).Pheromone-baited traps can now be used for monitoring for the establishment of this scale in California and for monitoring its spread, phenology, and population densities should it become established. (Milar, et al., 2012)
General Remarks: Description and illustration of adult female by Ferris (1941d), McKenzie (1956) and by Gill (1997).

Illustrations

Citations

BenDovGe2003: catalog, 39-41
Borchs1966: catalog, 354
Cocker1898j: description, distribution, host, taxonomy, 433-434
Cocker1899a: taxonomy, 396
Cocker1899d: distribution, host, 170
Cocker1899n: distribution, host, 26
Cocker1905: taxonomy, 46
CoronaRuMo1997: distribution, host, 38-41
DicksoFl1955: distribution, host, 614-615
DooleySm2013: catalog, 11
EvansWaMi2009: taxonomy, 63-67
Fernal1903b: 285-286,291
Ferris1941d: description, distribution, host, illustration, taxonomy, 330
Ferris1941e: taxonomy, 40,44,45
Ferris1942: taxonomy, 29
FrancoCoLu2021: reproduction, 253
Gill1997: distribution, host, illustration, taxonomy, 40,41
JansenAl2023: dispersal, host, 24,33
KondoWa2022a: distribution, host, list, 13
LazaroGoRo2023: diagnosis, distribution, host, key, natural enemies, 247, 248
Leonar1900: distribution, host, taxonomy, 342
Lindin1957: taxonomy, 544
Lindin1957: taxonomy, 545
MacGil1921: description, distribution, host, taxonomy, 415,418
McDani1968: distribution, host, illustration, taxonomy, 204-205
McKenz1939: taxonomy, 53-54
McKenz1956: description, distribution, host, illustration, taxonomy, 36-37
MillarChMc2012: biological control, chemistry, distribution, economic importance, 497-504
Nakaha1982: distribution, host, 3
NormarOkMo2019: distribution, host, phylogeny, 11, S2
OzodbeKhKo2024: molecular biology, phylogenetics, 3
PetersHaMo2020s1: DNA, distribution, host,
RosenDe1979: biological control, distribution, host, 248-249
RugmanMoSt2009: economic importance, molecular data, taxonomy, 1948-1953
SchneiFiNo2019: key, taxonomy, 92
SchneiOkNo2018: phylogeny,
StocksEv2017: host, 491
TownseCo1898: description, distribution, host, taxonomy, 179
VasqueDeCo2002: distribution, host, 331
WeiScNo2021: key, 21
Willia1985a: catalog, taxonomy, 232,235
Willia2017a: catalog, list of species, 217, 225
YustCe1956: distribution, host, 425-442
ZouChMi2013: biological control, chemistry, economic importance, 134-136