Valid Names Results

Poliaspis media Maskell, 1880 (Diaspididae: Poliaspis)

Nomenclatural History

• Mytilaspis sp. Maskell 1879: 203. unavailable name that is placed (discovered by Maskel1880, 293).
• Poliaspis media Maskell 1880: 293-294. Type data: NEW ZEALAND: on Veronica sp. and Leucopogon fraseri. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Auckland: New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Landcare Research, New Zealand; Christchurch: Canterbury Museum, 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; accepted valid name Illustr.
• Poliaspis cycadis Comstock 1883: 126-128. Type data: UNITED STATES: Washington D.C., in conservatory, on Cycas revoluta, Dion edula and Microsemia sp. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; junior synonym Illustr.
• Fiorinia media (Maskell, 1880); Cockerell 1896b: 338. change of combination
• Poliaspis argentosis Brittin 1915: 150-151. Type data: NEW ZEALAND: South Island, Crushington, near Reefton, on Coprosma sp., by R.W. Raithby. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Auckland: New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Landcare Research, New Zealand; junior synonym (discovered by Hender2011, 144-146). Illustr.
• Poliaspis gaultheriae Green 1920: 126-129. Type data: UNITED KINGDOM: Scotland, Edinburgh, Edinburgh Botanic Gardens, on Gaultheria depressa and G. rupestris. Syntypes, female, Type depository: London: The Natural History Museum, England, UK; junior synonym (discovered by Balach1954e, 428). Illustr.
• Trichomytilus argentosis (Brittin, 1915); Lindinger 1933a: 165. change of combination
• Trichomytilus cycadis (Comstock, 1883); Lindinger 1933a: 165. change of combination
• Trichomytilus medius (Maskell, 1880); Lindinger 1933a: 165. change of combination requiring emendation of specific epithet for agreement in gender
• Poliaspis gautierae Green, 1920; Lindinger 1943b: 224. misspelling of species epithet
• Paleomytilus mediae Borchsenius 1978: 110. replacement name that is unjustified

Common Names

• cycad poliaspis scale Gill1997

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 23 | Genera: 32

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• HardyHe2011: pp.4-6 ( Adult (F) ) [Key to species of Poliaspis (excluding P. intermedia, and P. casuarinicola)]

Remarks

• Systematics: Lepidosaphes media is close to Poliaspis argentosis and can be told from it by the shape of median and second pair of lobes, anterolateral circumgenital glands, plates, number of tubular spinnerets at margin of segments (Brittin, 1926). Borchsenius (1978) moved this species to Paleomytilus, which is no longer considered a valid genus by coccid workers (Danzig, 1993). Since they do treat Poliaspis and since media is the type species of Polisapis it must be considered Poliaspis media.Brittin (1926) compares and contrasts Poliaspis argentosis and P. media. Henderson (2011) synonymized these two species after reviewing Brittin's and Maskell's slides: Poliaspis media Maskell. LECTOTYPE female, NEW ZEALAND, labelled "Poliaspis media, females, from Leucopogon Fraseri (epacrid), June 1878 W.M.M.", [1]: 1 F. Barcode NZAC02008420 (NZAC). This is one of 3 slides remounted from 1 original Maskell slide by R.C. Henderson, 2001. Paralectotypes: (i) collection data as above (the remaining 2 slides from remounting), [2]: 2 F; (ii) labelled "Poliaspis media, females, 2 stages, from Veronica, Jan 1879 W.M.M.", [3]: 2 F [1 pharate], 1 f2nd; these are 3 slides remounted from 1 original Maskell slide by R.C. Henderson, 2001 (NZAC). Poliaspis argentosis Brittin. LECTOTYPE female, NEW ZEALAND, on an original slide labelled "Poliaspis argentosis, (Type) (1.), No. 47, On Coprosma, Crushington, 11 Dec 1913, G. Brittin", [1]: 1 F. Barcode NZAC02008423 (NZAC). Of 2 slides with the same label data as above and outlined in red by Brittin, the chosen lectotype is in better condition than the other female, which becomes a paralectotype. A 3rd slide with the same collection data but not outlined in red or labelled type is also a paralectotype (NZAC). (Henderson, 2011) The type material of P. cycadis is morphologically inseparable from P. media. Both species were discovered at about the same time (1880s) and at first the host differences (cycads versus wide host range) and geographic disjunction of North America and New Zealand presented a conundrum. Examination of the type material of P. gaultheriae, previously synonymized with P. cycadis by Balachowsky (1954), revealed it to be conspecific, but the only recorded host of P. gaultheriae was Gaultheria depressa, an endemic New Zealand plant that had been transported from NZ to Scotland. Thus the connection to P. media as the senior synonym became more credible. (Hardy & Henderson, 2011) Ferris (1942) states that Poliaspis cycadis might be confused with Furcadaspis zamiae, since the two scales are somewhat similar in habit and appearance. On the slide, however, the two are immediately separable, since F. zamiae entirely lacks the perivulvar pores and is rotund in form.
• Structure: Female cover is white and broad. Adult female is unusually greenish-white, and shows rudimentary antennae. Abdominal extremity is jagged, with a median depression and with a few scattered hairs. Adult male is bright scarlet or deep orange. The antennae, covered with longish hairs, have 10 joints (Maskell, 1880).Scale of adult female elongate-ovate, convex; secretion white and loosely felted. Exuviae light yellow. Adult female elongated, yellow, convex above, flat beneath. Pygidium large and well defined, with 8 groups of circumgenital glands, 3 anterior groups each consisting of 2-5 glands; subanterior group with 2-4; anterior lateral 14-20; posterior laterals 21-25. Adult female 1.22 mm long (Brittin, 1915).Female scale 2.5-3.0 mm long, oystershell-shaped, shiny white except for a yellowish terminal exuviae. Male scale felt-like, elongate, white, with terminal exuviae and uncarinated (Gill, 1997).
• Biology: Normally on underside of leaves of host plants, less often on stems; in addition, inducing various galls on certain host plants, for example, leaf tip rolls on Myrsine australis, and leaf rosette galls on Coprosma spp. (Henderson & Martin, 2011)
• General Remarks: Detailed description and illustration by Brittin (1915). Detailed description and illustrations by Comstock (1883) and Gill (1997).

Illustrations

Citations