Valid Names Results

Parlatoria pittospori Maskell, 1891 (Diaspididae: Parlatoria)

Nomenclatural History

• Parlatoria pittospori Maskell 1891: 11-12. Type data: AUSTRALIA: on Pittosporum undulatum, by Mr. French. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Auckland: New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Landcare Research, New Zealand; Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; accepted valid name Illustr.
• Parlatoria myrtus Maskell 1891: 12. Type data: AUSTRALIA: on Myrtus communis and Viburnum sp., by C. French. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Auckland: New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Landcare Research, 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; junior synonym (discovered by Ferris1942, SIV-402). Illustr.
• Parlatoria dryandrae Fuller 1897b: 4. Type data: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia, Swan River, on Dryandra florabunda. Syntypes, female, junior synonym (discovered by McKenz1945, 53). Notes: Types presumed lost.
• Parlatoria petrophilae Fuller 1899: 468. Type data: AUSTRALIA: Western Australia, on Petrophila linearis and Hakea ilicifolia. Syntypes, female, junior synonym (discovered by Ferris1942, SIV-402). Notes: Types presumed lost.
• Parlatoria (Euparlatoria) Myrtus Maskell, 1891; Leonardi 1904a: 15. change of combination
• Syngenaspis dryandrae (Fuller, 1897); MacGillivray 1921: 251. change of combination
• Syngenaspis myrtus (Maskell, 1891); MacGillivray 1921: 249. change of combination
• Syngenaspis petrophilae (Fuller, 1899); MacGillivray 1921: 250. change of combination
• Parlatoria pittospoiri Maskell, 1891; Tang 1984: 112. misspelling of species epithet

Common Names

• mauve pittosporum scale DeitzTo1980
• pine parlatoria scale DeitzTo1980
• pittosporum diaspidid McKenz1956
• pittosporum scale MillerDa1990

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 27 | Genera: 54

Foes:

Families: 1 | Genera: 2

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• Hender2011: pp.119 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to Parlatoria adult females in New Zealand]
• SuhJi2009: pp.1041-1043 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to species of armored scales intercepted on imported plants (slide mounted adult females)]
• MillerDa2005: pp.29-31 ( Adult (F) ) [Field Key to Economic Armored Scales]
• Gill1997: pp.217 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to California species of Parlatoria]
• Balach1958b: pp.321 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to species of Parlatoria]
• McKenz1956: pp.34 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to species of Parlatoria]
• McKenz1952: pp.15 ( ) [Revised key to species of Parlatoria]
• McKenz1945: pp.79 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to species of Parlatoria]
• Ferris1942: pp.SIV-446:59 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to species of Parlatoria]
• Morris1939a: pp.30 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to species of Parlatoria]

Remarks

• Systematics: Parlatoria pittospori appears to belong to the P. pergandii P. proteus and P. crotonis complex, but may be separated from all of these by the presence of dorsal macroducts on the intermediate portion of the pygidium and of the segment anterior to this (McKenzie, 1945).
• Structure: Female scale dull dark greenish-gray, sometimes almost black; exuviae green, sub-central, sub-elliptical, flattish. Male scale elongate, not carinated, exuviae terminal. Adult female dark brown, segmented, sub-elliptical, but shrivelling at gestation to globular. Posterior extremity broadly rounded, ending in 6 trifoliate lobes not close together, and with equal spaces between them (Maskell, 1891).
• Biology: In New Zealand, in the field, all stages of P. pittospori are found throughout the year. In August and September, most females were mature and were laying eggs. Main crawler emergence starts at the end of October and reaches a peak in December (Timlin, 1964). The life history of the pittosporum scale was studied by Timlin (1964b) in New Zealand on Monterey pine. All stages were found throughout the year. Ovipositing adult females were the predominant stage in August and September, and peak crawler emergence occurred in December. Each female laid about 46 eggs with a maximum of 62. In field experiments a generation required about 10 months. The preferred settling site was on the inside of the needles of the pine. Timlin also studied the pittosporum scale on apple. He was unable to collect the scale on any part of the host other than the fruit with the exception of one isolated case where he found a specimen on a smooth stem. He was able to infest smooth apple branches artificially with crawlers and development to a second generation occurred in about 10 months, but he found no evidence that this occurred in commercial orchards. In areas where apples were protected by windbreaks of Monterey pine, apple fruit commonly was contaminated with this scale. The pines apparently act as a reservoir of crawlers which are blown by the wind onto the fruit of the apples. Pesticides are believed to eliminate development of the scale on the apples themselves. A generation may develop as rapidly as 4 months on apple fruit. (Miller & Davidson, 2005).
• Economic Importance: Miller & Davidson (1990) list this insect as a pest. Timlin (1964) discusses the status of P. pittospori as a pest on apples in New Zealand. McKenzie (1956) reported this species to be a minor pest of certain ornamentals in southern California. In Australia (Webster 1968) and New Zealand (Timlin 1964b) infested apple fruit is rejected for shipment to certain foreign countries because of the possibility of establishment of the pest in a new area. On certain green varieties of apples, feeding sites of the scale turn red giving the fruit an unsightly appearance (Richards 1960). (Miller & Davidson, 2005).
• General Remarks: Detailed description and illustration by McKenzie (1945).

Illustrations

Citations