Valid Names Results

Pseudaulacaspis prunicola theae (Maskell, 1896) (Diaspididae: Pseudaulacaspis)

Nomenclatural History

• Chionaspis prunicola theae Maskell 1896b: 389-390. Type data: INDIA: Northern India (no locality mentioned) on Thea sp.. Lectotype, female, by subsequent designation (DeitzTo1980,44). Type depository: Auckland: New Zealand Arthropod Collection, Landcare Research, New Zealand; accepted valid name Notes: Lectotype slide bears original label "Chionaspis/prunicola/var. theae/adult female/1895 W.M.M." and new label "LECTOTYPE/Chionaspis/prunicola/theae/Maskell, 1896/ design. Deitz & Tocker 1979/ ENTOMOLOGY DIVISION D.S.I.R. NZ." Illustr.
• Aulacaspis pentagona theae (Maskell, 1896); Fernald 1903b: 235. change of combination and rank
• Trichomytilus theae (Maskell, 1896); Lindinger 1934: 64. change of combination and rank
• Pseudaulacaspis theae (Maskell, 1896); Ali 1970: 25. change of combination
• Pseudaulacaspis prunicola theae (Maskell, 1896); Deitz & Tocker 1980: 44. change in status (level)

Common Names

Ecological Associates

Hosts:

Families: 1 | Genera: 1

Geographic Distribution

Keys

Remarks

• Systematics: Borchsenius (1966) erroneously treated Pseudaulacaspis prunicola theae as a junior synonym of Pinnaspis theae (Maskell, 1891). Fletcher (1919) erroneously considered Chionaspis manni (=Pseudaulacaspis manni to be synonymous with Chionaspis prunicola var. theae (=P. prunicola theae).
• Structure: Maskell (1896b) separated P. prunicola theae with the female scale more elongate and the anterior abdominal margin has fewer spines, but the terminal lobes and serrations are identical to P. prunicola.
• Biology: White prunicola scale long has been confused with white peach scale, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona. Most published biologies probably deal with white peach scale since they usually report work done in warm areas of the world on hosts other than Prunus. White prunicola scale prefers a north temperate climate. Stimmel (1982) studied the seasonal history of P. prunicola on Prunus serrulata Lindl. (Japanese flowering cherry) in northeastern Pennsylvania. We have examined voucher specimens from his study. To our knowledge this is the only published life history of this. He found that the scale was bivoltine with mated adult females as the overwintering stage. In each generation of 1981, oviposition began May 15 and July 22, females produced an average of 27.2 and 78 eggs, crawlers first appeared May 20 and July 28, and adults first appeared July 8 and September 3. We observed the species in College Park, Maryland in 1981, on Prunus serrulata where it had 3 generations each year. First generation crawlers were present in early May; these became adults in early June and egg laying began the last week of June. Second generation crawlers were present in early July. Adults were seen the first week of August. Egg laying began in mid-August and the first crawlers of the third generation were found in late August. Only mated adult females overwintered. (Miller & Davidson, 2005).
• Economic Importance: White prunicola scale is a serious pest of Prunus, especially in temperate areas. Moderate infestations have caused defacing die back to the flowering cherry trees growing around the scenic tidal basin area of Washington, D.C., and heavy infestations have killed many of these priceless trees (personal observations of authors). Maskell (1895) in the original description reported that it was causing significant damage to Japanese plum in Hawaii. Miller and Davidson (1990) consider this species to be an occasional pest. (Miller & Davidson, 2005).

Illustrations

Citations