Porcelli, F. 2008 Changes in body size and shape in Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell, 1879) adult female.. Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies, Oeiras, Portugal, 24-27 September 2007. ISA Press Lisbon, Portugal 322 pp.

Notes: Adult body size and shape changes during female adult (reproductive) life is a common phenomenon in Coccoidea. Moreover, some Diaspididae species show remarkable sclerotization of the whole body rather than just part of it in mature adult females. This study clarifies the way in which the body size and shape changes, plus how the sclerolization takes place. These changes could be the result of a simple cuticular stretching, or an epithelial hypertrophy, or an epithelial hyperplasia combined with a sclerotization taking place over a defined short period or during the whole shape and size change process. Live adult females of Aonidiella auralltii were chosen as subjects because of their typical growth pattern during adult instar. Adult females from teneral to fully grown and mature older specimens were stained with DAPI, a fluorescent nuclear stain and observed under a Zeiss Photomicroscope III, equipped with a HBO Mercury Short Arc Lamp. The evidence shows that the changes in body size and shape and the sclerotization of the prosoma of A aurantii adult females are coordinated phenomena originating from the hypertrophy of the epithelial cell layer. Moreover, the so called "bosses" appear to be the first signs of sclerotization.