Valid Names Results

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

Nomenclatural History

• Aspidiotus tenebricosus Comstock 1881a: 308. Type data: U.S.A.: Washington, D.C., on bark of trunk and limbs, of red or swamp maple, Acer rubrum.. Syntypes, female, Type depository: Washington: United States National Entomological Collection, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, District of Columbia, USA; accepted valid name Illustr.
• Aspidiotus (Chrysomphalus) tenebricosus Comstock, 1881; Cockerell 1897i: 22. change of combination
• Aonidiella tenebricosa (Comstock, 1881); Leonardi 1897: 286. change of combination requiring emendation of specific epithet for agreement in gender
• Chrysomphalus tenebricosus (Comstock, 1881); Fernald 1903b: 294. change of combination
• Aonidiella tenebricoa (Comstock, 1881); MacGillivray 1921: 443. misspelling of species epithet
• Melanaspis tenebricosa (Comstock, 1881); Lindinger 1931a: 44. change of combination
• Chrysomphalus (Melanaspis) tenebricosus (Comstock, 1881); Merrill 1953: 40. change of combination
• Melanaspis tenebricosa (Comstock, 1881); Borchsenius 1966: 353. revived combination (previously published)

Common Names

• gloomy scale Comsto1881a DeitzDa1986 Dekle1965c Koszta1996 Merril1953 MerrilCh1923
• red maple scale SchmutKlLu1957
• escama negra del arce GunawaWaKo2022

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 20 | Genera: 32

Foes:

Families: 7 | Genera: 9

Associates:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• WeiScNo2021: pp.17-23 ( Adult (F) ) [Aspidiotini from Panama]
• 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]
• McDani1970: pp.411-412 ( Adult (F) ) [U.S.A.: Texas]
• Ferris1943: pp.64 ( Adult (F) ) [North America]
• Ferris1942: pp.37 ( Adult (F) ) [North America]
• Hollin1923: pp.29 ( Adult (F) ) [U.S.A.: Missouri]
• Comsto1883: pp.55-57 ( Adult (F) ) [North America]

Remarks

• Systematics: Of the Melanaspis species in the USA without perivulvar pores, M. tenebricosa most resembles M. indurata (Ferris), but the former has the first paraphysis in the first interlobular space short, whereas this paraphysis is long in M. indurata; M. tenebricosa mainly infests Acer, whereas M. indurata feeds on Pinus (Gunawardana et al. 2022).
• Structure: Female scale 1.5 mm in diameter; dark gray; the protuberance indicating the position of the exuviae is marked with a white dot and concentric ring; in rubbed specimens this protuberance is smooth and black, in all cases the remainder of the surface of the scale is rough; very convex; the exuviae usually between the center and one side; ventral scale well developed, especially at the margin, where it is much thickened and dark-coloured, central part white and adheres to the bark (Comstock, 1881). Live adult female pink to purple, eggs pale pink. Scale cover of immature male similar to that of adult female but smaller and elongate oval with submarginal exuviae. Adult male winged. Crawlers cream to yellow in life (Gunawardana et al. 2022).
• Biology: Occurring on the bark, commonly exposed (Ferris, 1941d). Melanaspis tenebricosa reproduces sexually by ovipary or ovovivipary; it has 1 generation per year and overwinters as mated adult females (Gunawardana et al. 2022).
• Economic Importance: Schmutterer et al. (1957) considered this species a minor pest in southern states of USA, and in central America. Metcalf (1922) remarked that gloomy scale ‘without exception was the most important pest of shade trees in North Carolina’. This remains the case (Frank 2019) as recent work has documented populations of gloomy scale at damaging adult female densities of up to 70/cm in urban areas from Florida to Delaware. (Just, et al., 2020) Gloomy scale often goes unnoticed until infestations are severe, at which point the time and expense to control the infestation may exceed the value of the tree. (Just, et al., 2020)
• General Remarks: Description and illustration of adult female by Ferris (1941d), Deitz & Davidson (1986), Kosztarab (1996) and by Gill (1997). Color photograph in Gunawardana et al. (2022).

Illustrations

Citations