Valid Names Results

Albastaspis cordylinidis (Maskell, 1879) (Diaspididae: Albastaspis)

Nomenclatural History

• Mytilaspis cordylinidis Maskell 1879: 195-196. Type data: NEW ZEALAND: on Cordyline sp., Asplenium sp., Phormium sp., Gahnia sp., Drimys sp., Astelia sp. and Eucalyptus globulus. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Auckland: New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Landcare Research, New Zealand; Christchurch: Canterbury Museum, New Zealand; London: The Natural History Museum, England, UK; Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; accepted valid name Notes: LECTOTYPE female, designated by Henderson, 2011, to preserve nomenclatural stability: NEW ZEALAND, [no locality or date], labelled "Mytilaspis cordylinidis Maskell, ex Maskell’s dry material #9, mounted by JdeB, 28 vi 1968; remounted RCH 2009", [1]: 1 F. Barcode NZAC02008349 (NZAC). Paralectotypes: (i) as above, [4]: 4 F; (ii) as above except not remounted by RCH 2009 [3]: 8 F, 6 exuv2, 4 exuv1; (iii) on an original slide labelled "Mytilaspis cordylinidis, from Cordyline, Puparium and young insect, June 1877, W.M.M.", [1]: adult female scale cover with intact exuv2 and exuv1, plus 1 1st-instar crawler (NZAC). Illustr.
• Lepidosaphes cordylinidis (Maskell, 1879); Fernald 1903b: 307. change of combination
• Mytilaspis cordilinidis Maskell, 1879; Leonardi 1904: 31. misspelling of species epithet
• Fusilaspis cordylinidis (Maskell, 1879); MacGillivray 1921: 289. change of combination
• Trichomytilus cordylinidis (Maskell, 1879); Lindinger 1933a: 165. change of combination
• Poliaspis cordylinidis (Maskell, 1879); Lindinger 1957: 550. change of combination
• Pseudaulacaspis cordylinidis (Maskell, 1879); Deitz & Tocker 1980: 35. change of combination
• Anzaspis cordylinidis (Maskell, 1879); Henderson 2011: 62-70. change of combination Notes: LECTOTYPE female, designated to preserve nomenclatural stability: NEW ZEALAND, [no locality or date], labelled "Mytilaspis cordylinidis Maskell, ex Maskell’s dry material #9, mounted by JdeB, 28 vi 1968; remounted RCH 2009", [1]: 1 F. Barcode NZAC02008349 (NZAC). Paralectotypes: (i) as above, [4]: 4 F; (ii) as above except not remounted by RCH 2009 [3]: 8 F, 6 exuv2, 4 exuv1; (iii) on an original slide labelled "Mytilaspis cordylinidis, from Cordyline, Puparium and young insect, June 1877, W.M.M.", [1]: adult female scale cover with intact exuv2 and exuv1, plus 1 1st-instar crawler (NZAC). Illustr.
• Albastaspis cordylinidis (Maskell, 1879); Wei, Normark, and Normark 2026: 28. change of combination

Common Names

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 9 | Genera: 11

Foes:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• WeiNoNo2026: pp.36 ( Adult (F) ) [species of Fioriniina in Australia]
• LagowsHo2012: pp.66 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to adult female Diaspididae closely related to “Chionaspis” recorded from the tropical South Pacific and New Zealand]
• Hender2011: pp.57-58 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to Anzspis adult females, in combination with 1st-instar nymphs/1st exuvia]
• MacGil1921: pp.289 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to species of Fusilaspis] Key as: Fusilaspis cordylinidis
• Leonar1903: pp.31 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to species of Mytilaspis] Key as: Mytilaspis cordilinidis

Remarks

• Systematics: The 1st-instar nymph of A. cordylinidis differs from that of A. gahniae in having 1 pair of gland spines 2× as long as the median lobes on the pygidium, and 1 pair each of large and small microducts on the dorsal thorax; on A. gahniae dorsal submedian ducts are absent and pygidial gland spines either not produced beyond margin or only <1.5× as long as the the median lobes. As for A. angusta and A. gahniae, features of the 1st-instar nymph that differentiate it are also present in the 1st-exuvium of the scale covers, these proving a valuable aid to distinguish this species. (Henderson, 2011) The male nymph of A. cordylinidis possesses 1 pair of dorsal ducts on pygidium VI, whereas A. gahniae has 2 pairs there, a submedian and a submarginal duct each side; in addition, usually the antenna on A. cordylinidis has 1 long seta whereas the antenna on A. gahniae has 2 divergent long setae. (Henderson, 2011)
• Structure: Female scale very long and narrow, generally straight, sometimes curved, semi-cylindrical, white, but exuviae are bright yellow. Eggs are small, oval, bright yellow. Adult female pale golden, three times as long as broad. Body is somewhat corrugated (Maskell, 1879). Female scale elongate, more so when on Cordyline than on Freycinetia, Phormium, or Uncinia; scale cover white, terminal exuvia pale when on Cordyline, dark brown when on Freycinetia, Phormium, or Uncinia. Female body and eggs yellow. Male scale small, elongate, not carinated, white with pale terminal exuvium. (Henderson, 2011)
• Biology: On leaves of host plant.
• General Remarks: Detailed description and illustration by Maskell (1879). Redescription and illustrations in Henderson, 2011. Schutze et al. (2026) consider this species absent in Australia due to dubious records.

Illustrations

Citations