Valid Names Results

Palmaspis phoenicis (Ramachandra Rao, 1922) (Asterolecaniidae: Palmaspis)

Nomenclatural History

• Asterolecanium phoenicis Ramachandra Rao 1922: 11. Type data: IRAQ: on date palm [= Phoenix dactylifera.. Syntypes, female, by subsequent designation accepted valid name Notes: Depository of type material unknown.
• Asterolecanium phoenicis Green 1923a: 469. Type data: IRAQ: Baghdad, on the leaf-stalks, leaves and fruits of Phoenix dactylifera. Syntypes, female, Type depository: London: The Natural History Museum, England, UK; synonym and homonym (discovered by Russel1941, 154-156). Replacement name for Asterolecanium phoenicis Ramachandra Rao, 1922 Illustr.
• Palmaspis phoenicis (Ramachandra Rao, 1922); Bodenheimer 1951: 328. change of combination
• Palmapsis phoenicis; El-Shafie 2012. misspelling of genus name

Common Names

• green date palm pit scale AbdRabEv2021

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Foes:

Families: 3 | Genera: 3

Geographic Distribution

Keys

• Russel1941: pp.12-26 ( Adult (F) ) [Species of Asterolecanium]
• Russel1941: pp.26-35 ( Immature (F) ) [Species of Asterolecanium]

Remarks

• Systematics: The brief description of Asterolecanium phoenicis by Ramachandra Rao (1922) validated this name. The name Asterolecanium phoenicis by Green (1923a) is a homonym and synonym of Asterolecanium phoenicis Ramachandra Rao, 1922.
• Structure: In life, body of adult female oval, wider at rounded posterior end, convex dorsally; test pale greenish yellow, transparent, thin, smooth and shiny. Slide-mounted adult female body slipper-shaped. Antennae very short, each with 2 setae as long as, or slightly longer than diameter of antenna. Anal opening dorsal, circular, with margin sometimes faintly sclerotized (Moghaddam & Watson 2024).
• Biology: In Sudan, the green pit scale insect exists throughout the year and it has three peaks, first peak in February and March, second peak in July and the third peak is in October (Yousof, et al., 2013). Adult females live on the stems, leaves and fruits of date palms (Moghaddam & Watson 2024).
• Economic Importance: A pest of date palm in Israel, Iraq, Egypt and North Africa (Howard et al., 2001. The pest attacks the leaf lets, leaf rachis and fruits. It causes chlorosis, degeneration of leaves, malformation of fruits before maturity and leading to losses in productivity from 26 - 30 kg to 5 kg/tree. Death of trees occurs at the end. (Razig, 2014)
• General Remarks: Description and illustration of adult female by Green (1923a), Russell (1941). Description of the first instar nymph given by Russell (1941) and by Mohammad et al. (1997).

Illustrations

Citations