Valid Names Results

Dactylaspis crotonis (Cockerell, 1893) (Diaspididae: Dactylaspis)

Nomenclatural History

• Mytilaspis crotonis Cockerell 1893p: 156. Type data: JAMAICA: Kingston, on Croton sp., by J.J. Bowrey. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; accepted valid name
• Mytilaspis crotonis Cockerell 1893j: 256. nomen nudum (discovered by Cocker1893p, 156). Illustr.
• Lepidosaphes crotonis (Cockerell, 1893); Fernald 1903b: 308. change of combination
• Coccomytilus crotonis (Cockerell, 1893); Leonardi 1904: 10, 18. change of combination
• Dactylaspis crotonis (Cockerell, 1893); Ferris 1942: SIV-389. change of combination

Common Names

• croton mussel scale Borchs1966
• guagua del Croton AlayoS1976

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 4 | Genera: 7

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• Ferris1942: pp.SIV-446:51 ( ) [Key to species of Dactylaspis Ferris]
• MacGil1921: pp.295 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to species of Coccomytilus] Key as: Coccomytilus crotonis
• Leonar1903: pp.10 ( Adult (F) ) [Coccomytilus species] Key as: Coccomytilus crotonis

Remarks

• Systematics: Dactylaspis crotonis is similar to D. calcarata and D. lobata, but differs from both in the enlarged antennae and in the presence of distinct leg vestiges (Ferris, 1942). Zimmerman (1948) states that Kirkaldy (1904) may have misidentified Lepidosaphes tokionis as D. crotonis.
• Structure: Female scale elongate. Adult female about 1.75 mm long, body more or less fusiform and tending to be curved or distorted. Abdominal segments only slightly lobed laterally. Derm membranous throughout except for the pygidium (Ferris, 1942).
• Biology: Dactylaspis crotonis can occur in great abundance on the stems of its host. The females are covered in bark tissue making them difficult to distinguish (Ferris, 1942).

Illustrations

Citations