Takagi, S. 2012 Two New Species of Aulacaspis from Japan, with notes on a strange organ and seasonal variation (Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea: Diaspididae). Insecta Matsumurana 68: 117-132
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Notes: Aulacapis cupulifera and Aulcaspis cylicophora, n. spp., are described from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. They are extraordinary in having 'cupulae' on the ventral surface of the mesothracic region, but in other characters they are very similar to Aulacaspis yabunikkei. The cuppulae are suppoused to be succkers useful in test construction. A. cupulifera was collected in November on Neolitsea acaculata at two localites in Tokuno-Sima, and A. cylicohora in March on Neolistea sericea in Okinawa. One of the two samples of A. cupulifera has full-grown and teneral adult females mounted mostly from the same leaves and separated clearly into two successive generations, parental and offspring. Theadult females of the offspring or hibernatal generation tend to have more numerous dorsal macroducts and perivulvar disc pores, the mean values of the total numbers being significantly differnet statistically. this phenomenon requeires attention on seasonal ecophenotypic varioatin in comparing characters taxonmically. The adult females of the other sample are considerable grown but still juvenile and those of A. cylicophora are fully grown; these females probably belong to the hibernal generation, in which the two species may properly be compared.
