Valid Names Results

Melanaspis corticosa (Brain, 1919) (Diaspididae: Melanaspis)

Nomenclatural History

• Chrysomphalus (Pseudischnaspis) corticosus Brain 1919: 204. Type data: SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Province, Rosebank, on 'keurboom', Virgilia capensis; collected by C.W. Mally, 21.viii.1914.. Lectotype, female, by subsequent designation (Muntin1970a,37). Type depository: Pretoria: South African National Collection of Insects, South Africa; accepted valid name Illustr.
• Chrysomphalus corticosus Brain, 1919; MacGillivray 1921: 419. change of combination
• Melanaspis corticosus (Brain, 1919); McKenzie 1939: 54. change of combination
• Melanaspis corticosa (Brain, 1919); Borchsenius 1966: 347. change of combination requiring emendation of specific epithet for agreement in gender

Common Names

• South African Obscure Scale Brain1919
• south african obscure scale Brain1919

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 9 | Genera: 13

Foes:

Families: 2 | Genera: 4

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• Balach1958b: pp.194 ( Adult (F) ) [Africa]
• Hall1946: pp.62 ( Adult (F) ) [Africa]
• Brain1919: pp.198 ( Adult (F) ) [South Africa]

Remarks

• Systematics: GenBank accession numbers OP442082 up to OP442087. (Mazzeo, et al., 2023)
• Structure: Female scale varying greatly on different host-plants; on smooth-barked plants it is very large and flat, reaching 3.2 mm in diameter, brownish to black in colour with the blackish exuviae covered; as a rule, however, the scale is almost or entirely covered by the outer layers of bark of the host-plant; on Rhus this is usual, and it has been submitted on many occasions as a browning scale; on Robinia the scale takes the greyish appearance of the bark, but the black exuviae are very conspicuous with a greyish white concentric ring; on the wild olive, on the other hand, it forms a thick crust of blackish or greyish black scales, which easily flake off; the scale itself, without any admixture of tissues, is pitchy black, with concolorous exuviae; seen from below the scale is domed and very glossy; the ventral scale is delicate and usually remains on the host-plant (Brain, 1919).
• Economic Importance: Severe damages were observed in many olive trees in the studied locations, in which the scale originated dieback of branches, with leaf browning, followed by leaf abscission. In most of the collected samples, the branches and shoots were completely covered by aggregated individuals of the scale, including adult females and nymphs. This corresponds to the highest intensity level of infestation by scale insects, according to the classification proposed by Kosztarab (1990), This scale insect is a potential injurious pest of olive trees and is reported for the first time in Europe, as well as in the Palearctic region. (Mazzeo, et al., 2023)
• General Remarks: Description and illustration of adult female by Brain (1919) and by Balachowsky (1958b).

Illustrations

Citations