Valid Names Results

Melanaspis greeni (Leonardi, 1914) (Diaspididae: Melanaspis)

Nomenclatural History

• Chrysomphalus greeni Leonardi 1914: 206. Type data: GUINEA: Conakry, on undetermined plant.. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Portici: Dipartimento de Entomologia e Zoologia Agraria di Portici, Universita di Napoli Federico II, Italy; accepted valid name Illustr.
• Melanaspis greeni (Leonardi, 1914); Lindinger 1943a: 147. change of combination
• Chrysomphalus greeni Leonardi, 1914; Borchsenius 1966: 290. revived combination (previously published)
• Melanaspis greeni (Leonardi, 1914); Smith-Pardo, Evans & Dooley 2012: 18-19. revived combination (previously published)

Common Names

Ecological Associates

Geographic Distribution

Keys

Remarks

• Systematics: Leonardi (1914) described Chrysomphalus greeni from specimens found on an unknown plant in Guinea. Lindinger (1943) transferred the species to Melanaspis, and later Borchsenius (1966) transferred it back to Chrysomphalus. Smith-Pardo, et al., 2012 examined the type specimens and determined that unlike the pygidium of Chrysomphalus species, which lack a series of short paraphyses anterior to L3 and have conspicuous, long, branched or clubbed plates between L2 and L3 and anterior to L3, the pygidium of C. greeni is similar to that of Melanaspis in that: (i) the lateral margin is sclerotized with a series of short paraphyses anterior to L3 and (ii) the plates are short, spine-like and inconspicuous, not exceeding the length of the lobes. Relatively few species of Melanaspis have perivulvar pores, including this species. In the key of Deitz and Davidson (1986) to the North American species of Melanaspis, M. greeni would key out to and is most similar to Melanaspis ponderosa Ferris 1941, especially in the size and shape of the paraphyses. Of the Afrotropical species of Melanaspis, M. greeni comes closest to Melanaspis sansevii Mamet 1959, a species described from Madagascar on a crucifer, which has perivulvar pores and paraphyses similar to those of M. greeni. Peculiarly, L1-L3 of M. greeni each has a wide basal sclerosis similar to those observed in Pygidiaspis cedri Green 1915; whereas the basal scleroses are normally restricted to the median lobes.
• Structure: Female scale circular, slightly convex, robust; exuviae central; colour black, excluding a marginal area which is less compact and chestnut-coloured; dorsal part of scale covered by epidermis of host plant; 1.1 mm in diameter (Leonardi, 1914).
• General Remarks: Description and illustration of adult female by Leonardi (1914).

Illustrations

Citations