Hemiberlesia rapax (Comstock)

Lázaro-Castellanos, Carlos, González-Hernández, Héctor, Nápoles, Jesús Romero-, Ortega-Arenas, Laura D., Equihua-Martínez, Armando & Ochoa-Ascencio, Salvador, 2023, Armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) associated with avocados (Persea americana) in México’s main production areas, with keys for identification and natural enemies, Zootaxa 5357 (2), pp. 241-269 : 258-259

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5357.2.4

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:57CB2073-72B0-4F1C-800E-68C5A938FCFF

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10018451

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/5F1287D5-FF89-D83F-78F0-FA713ADCDCB5

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Hemiberlesia rapax (Comstock)
status

 

Hemiberlesia rapax (Comstock) View in CoL

Aspidiotus rapax Comstock 1881b: 307 View in CoL .

Aspidiotus acuminatus Targioni Tozzetti 1881: 151 View in CoL .

Diaspis santali Maskell 1884: 122 View in CoL .

Aspidiotus evonymi Targioni Tozzetti 1888: 420 View in CoL .

Aspidiotus flavescens Green 1890: 21 View in CoL .

Diaspis circulata Green 1896: 4 View in CoL .

Aspidiotus (Hemiberlesia) rapax (Comstock) View in CoL ; Cockerell, 1897a: 30.

Aspidiotus tricolor (Green) View in CoL ; Townsend 1897: 185.

Hemiberlesia camelliae ( Signoret, 1869c) View in CoL ; Leonardi 1897a: 124.

Aspidiotus rapax evonymi (Targioni Tozzetti) View in CoL ; Cockerell 1899a: 396.

Aspidiotus lucumae Cockerell 1899b: 22 View in CoL .

Aspidiotus (Hemiberlesia) camelliae (Signoret) View in CoL ; Hempel 1900: 501.

Hemiberlesia argentina Leonardi 1911: 237 View in CoL .

Aspidiotus santali (Maskell) View in CoL ; Lindinger 1937: 180.

Aspidiotus argentina (Leonardi) View in CoL ; Chou 1985: 301.

Hemiberlesia rapax (Comstock) View in CoL ; Ferris, 1938: 244.

Field diagnosis. Adult female scale cover semicircular or slightly oval, convex, 1.0‒2.0 mm in diameter, white with yellow to brown subcentral exuviae. Body of live adult female membranous, yellow, pyriform, 0.7‒1.0 mm long; according to Watson (2002) it can vary from 1.0‒ 1.5 mm long.

Discussion. Hemiberlesia rapax is very similar to H. lataniae in terms of the color and shape of the waxy cover, as well as shape of the adult female body; however, they can be differentiated by morphological traits already discussed above and indicated in the key.

Habits on the hosts. The scale was collected from leaves, branches, and fruits, and was found isolated or in groups. It formed small or large colonies on leaves on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces, but on branches the colonies were less abundant. Hemiberlesia rapax was also found in small or medium infestations. The species was found alone or associated with other diaspidid scales, such as Asp. nerii , Ao. aurantii , Ac. scutiformis , Chr. dictyospermi , Da. aguacatae , Diaspis near coccois , H. cyanophylli , H. diffinis and H. lataniae .

Hosts. Hemiberlesia rapax is a highly polyphagous species that affects a wide variety of plants grown in tropical and subtropical regions of the world, attacking members of 188 genera belonging to 79 economically important plant families, including avocado, citrus, eucalyptus, guava, peach, pear and pomegranate, among others ( Watson 2002; García Morales et al. 2016). In this study we found it attacking the avocado varieties Fuerte, Granón, Hass and Mexicano 1.

Distribution. The scale has a cosmopolitan distribution; it is known in 71 countries on five continents ( Watson 2002; García Morales et al. 2016). In México, it has been reported in the states of Baja California, Michoacán, and Oaxaca ( García Morales et al. 2016). We found it in the following states and orchards: State of México: La Cruz, La Cabaña, Cochisquila 1, Cochisquila 2, Ixtlahuaca 2, Santa Ana, Lindero, San José 2, M1Texcoco, M2Texcoco, M3Texcoco, M4Texcoco, M5Texcoco and M6Texcoco; and Puebla: La Aguacatera and La Cuesta.

Natural enemies. Among the species of natural enemies that regulate H. rapax worldwide are reported species belonging to 17 genera in seven families of hymenopteran parasitoids, including: Aphelinidae : Ablerus (3), Aphytis (8), Coccophagus (3), Encarsia (6), Marietta (2), Pteroptrix (1); Encyrtidae : Coccidencyrtus (1), Comperiella (1), Gahaniella (1), Habrolepis (1), Neococcidencyrtus (1), Pseudectroma (1); Eulophidae : Tetrastichus (1); Eupelmidae : Eupelmus (1); Pteromalidae : Scutellista (1); Signiphoridae : Signiphora (7); also a predatory mite in Hemisarcoptidae : Hemisarcoptes (1) ( García Morales et al., 2016; Noyes 2019). In the present work, we obtained 39 individuals parasitizing H. rapax ; Aphelinidae : Aphytis pinnaspidis (1F), Aph. proclia (1F, 1M), Coccobius averini (1F), Cocc. juliae (1F, 1M), Encarsia aurantii (1F), E. citrina (1F), E. gaonae (4F), E. lounsburyi (2F), Marietta mexicana (1F, 1M); Encyrtidae : Metaphycus sp. 1 (1F); and Signiphoridae : Signiphora dozieri 1M), S. falcata (3F, 1M), S. fax (4F, 1M), S. flavella (6M) and S. merceti (6F).

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Hemiptera

Family

Diaspididae

Genus

Hemiberlesia

Loc

Hemiberlesia rapax (Comstock)

Lázaro-Castellanos, Carlos, González-Hernández, Héctor, Nápoles, Jesús Romero-, Ortega-Arenas, Laura D., Equihua-Martínez, Armando & Ochoa-Ascencio, Salvador 2023
2023
Loc

Aspidiotus argentina (Leonardi)

Chou, I. 1985: 301
1985
Loc

Hemiberlesia rapax (Comstock)

Ferris, G. F. 1938: 244
1938
Loc

Aspidiotus santali (Maskell)

Lindinger, L. 1937: 180
1937
Loc

Hemiberlesia argentina

Leonardi, G. 1911: 237
1911
Loc

Aspidiotus (Hemiberlesia) camelliae (Signoret)

Hempel, A. 1900: 501
1900
Loc

Aspidiotus rapax evonymi (Targioni Tozzetti)

Cockerell, T. D. A. 1899: 396
1899
Loc

Aspidiotus lucumae

Cockerell, T. D. A. 1899: 22
1899
Loc

Aspidiotus (Hemiberlesia) rapax (Comstock)

Cockerell, T. D. A. 1897: 30
1897
Loc

Aspidiotus tricolor (Green)

Townsend, C. H. T. 1897: 185
1897
Loc

Hemiberlesia camelliae ( Signoret, 1869c )

Leonardi, G. 1897: 124
1897
Loc

Diaspis circulata

Green, E. E. 1896: 4
1896
Loc

Aspidiotus flavescens

Green, E. E. 1890: 21
1890
Loc

Aspidiotus evonymi

Targioni Tozzetti, A. 1888: 420
1888
Loc

Diaspis santali

Maskell, W. M. 1884: 122
1884
Loc

Aspidiotus rapax

Comstock, J. H. 1881: 307
1881
Loc

Aspidiotus acuminatus

Targioni Tozzetti, A. 1881: 151
1881
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