Valid Names Results

Melanaspis obscura (Comstock, 1881) (Diaspididae: Melanaspis)

Nomenclatural History

• Aspidiotus obscurus Comstock 1881a: 303. Type data: USA: Washington, D.C., on the bark of the limbs of willow oak, Quercus phellos.. Lectotype, female, by subsequent designation (DeitzDa1986,58). Type depository: Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; accepted valid name Illustr.
• Aspidiotus (Melanaspis) obscurus Comstock, 1881; Cockerell 1897i: 21. change of combination
• Chrysomphalus obscurus (Comstock, 1881); Leonardi 1897: 286. change of combination
• Melanaspis obscura (Comstock, 1881); Lindinger 1911: 356. change of combination requiring emendation of specific epithet for agreement in gender
• Aspidiotus jaboticabae Hempel 1918: 206. Type data: BRAZIL: State of Sao Paolo, S. Manuel, on Eugenia jaboticabae.. Holotype, female, by original designation (Wolff2014,4). junior synonym
• Targionia jaboticabae (Hempel, 1918); Lepage & Giannotti 1943: 337. change of combination
• Chrysomphalus (Melanaspis) obscurus (Comstock, 1881); Merrill 1953: 38. change of combination
• Melanaspis jaboticabae (Hempel, 1918); Borchsenius 1966: 349. change of combination
• Melanaspis obscura (Comstock, 1881); Borchsenius 1966: 350. revived combination (previously published)

Common Names

• obscure scale Comsto1881a Dekle1965c McKenz1956 Merril1953 MerrilCh1923

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 12 | Genera: 18

Foes:

Families: 5 | Genera: 8

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• WolffEfDa2018: pp.5-7 ( Adult (F) ) [Secies recorded on Olea europaea in Brazil]
• MillerDa2005: pp.29-34 ( Adult (F) ) [Field Key to Economic Armored Scales]
• Gill1997: pp.194 ( Adult (F) ) [Species of California]
• Koszta1996: pp.533 ( Adult (F) ) [Northeastern North America]
• DeitzDa1986: pp.12-15 ( Adult (F) ) [North America]
• Kawai1980: pp.206 ( Adult (F) ) [Japan]
• McDani1970: pp.411-412 ( Adult (F) ) [U.S.A.: Texas]
• McKenz1956: pp.26 ( Adult (F) ) [U.S.A.: California]
• Britto1923: pp.376 ( Adult (F) ) [U.S.A.: Connecticut]
• Hollin1923: pp.29 ( Adult (F) ) [U.S.A.: Missouri]
• Lawson1917: pp.210 ( Adult (F) ) [U.S.A.: Kansas]
• DietzMo1916a: pp.307 ( Adult (F) ) [U.S.A.: Indiana]
• Comsto1883: pp.55-57 ( Adult (F) ) [North America]

Remarks

• Systematics: Genbank accession numbers: KF887360, KF887388, KF887362, KF887390, KF887363, KF887364, KF887365, KF887391, KF887401, KF88740, KF887382, KF887411, KF887412 and KF887392. (Campbell, et al., 2014)
• Structure: The female junior synonym, Melanaspis jaboticabae is circular to sub-circular in outline; hard, opaque and variable, some being more convex then others; colour dark brown to black; with the inner surface lined with a white secretion (Hempel, 1918). Female scale irregular in outline, but nearly circular, 3 mm in diameter; very dark gray; slightly convex; exuviae between center and one side, their position is indicated by a nipple-like prominence, which is marked with a white dot and concentric ring of the same color; ventral scale consists of a delicate film of white secretion, and the lower half of the exuviae attached to the bark (Comstock, 1881a). Colour photograph by Gill (1997).
• Biology: Occurring on the bark of the host, with no special tendency to be hidden in cracks or under the bark (Ferris, 1941d). Develops one generation a year in Alabama, USA (Hendricks & Williams (1992), Maryland, USA (Stoetzel & Davidson, 1971), Ohio, USA (Kosztarab, 1963) and Louisiana (Baker, 1933).
• Economic Importance: Description and illustration of adult female by Hempel (1918) and by Lepage & Giannotti (1943). obscure scale is a serious pest of oaks, Quercus spp. in eastern states of USA (Gill, 1997; Hendricks & Williams, 1992), of shade trees in Maryland, USA (Stoetzel & Davidson, 1971), and of pecan in southern USA (Osburn & Pierce, 1963).
• General Remarks: Description and illustration of adult female, Melanaspis jaboticabae, by Ferris (1941d), McKenzie (1956), Deitz & Davidson (1986), Kosztarab (1996) and by Gill (1997).

Illustrations

Citations