Palmaspis phoenicis (Ramachandra Rao)

(Fig. 6, Plate 1B, distribution map Fig. 91I)

Asterolecanium phoenicis Ramachandra Rao, 1922: 11 . Palmaspis phoenicis (Ramachandra Rao); Bodenheimer 1951: 328.

Field characters: Adult females live on the stems, leaves and fruits of date palms. Body of adult female oval, wider at rounded posterior end, convex dorsally; test pale greenish yellow, transparent, thin, smooth and shiny.

Microscopic diagnosis: 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.

Dorsum. Marginal 8-shaped pores present in a single row, terminating about three times length of apical setae from their bases. Tubular ducts present in scattered groups. Dorsal 8-shaped pores present, often numbering 20–25; with somewhat tubular pores present in submarginal area, 1 or 2 sometimes in median area anterior to level of mouthparts. Disc-pores fairly numerous.

Venter. Marginal quinquelocular disc-pores present in a single row on inner ventral edge of marginal 8-shaped pore row. Spiracular bar expanded at inner end; spiracular furrow between each spiracle and margin of body containing a group of about 12 quinquelocular disc-pores.

Distribution: Palmaspis phoenicis is known from eight countries in the Afrotropical and Palaearctic regions (García Morales et al. 2016); in Iran, it has been recorded from Bushehr, Esfahan, Fars, Hormozgan, Khorasan -e Jounobi, Sistan & Balouchestan and Yazd provinces (Moghaddam 2013).

Host-plants: The species has been recorded only on date palms, Phoenix dactylifera ( Arecaceae).

Economic importance: None in Iran.

Natural enemies: None recorded in Iran.