Aulacaspis Cockerell, 1893

Tian, Feng & Xing, Jichun, 2022, Two new species of Aulacaspis Cockerell, 1893 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae) from China, Zootaxa 5087 (1), pp. 154-178 : 155-156

Genus Aulacaspis Cockerell, 1893

Aulacaspis Cockerell 1893: 180 . Type species: Aspidiotus rosae Bouché 1833: 53 ; Chou 1982: 57–58; Takagi 1999: 114–115; Normark 2019: 52, 67.

Miscanthaspis Takagi 1961: 69 . Type species: Aulacaspis kuzunoi Kuwana & Muramatsu, 1932: 95 , synonymized by Takagi 1970: 82.

Superturmaspis Chen 1983: 85-86 . Type species: Chionaspis schizosoma Takagi 1970: 77 , synonymized by Takagi 1999: 146.

Semichionaspis Tang 1986: 170 . Type species: Chionaspis schizosoma Takagi 1970: 77 , synonymized by Takagi 1999: 146.

Generic diagnosis. Appearance in life. Scale cover of adult female white, circular, exuviae located at anterior end. Scale cover of immature male white, long and narrow, exuviae located at anterior end.

Slide-mounted adult female. There are two body types: the rosae type, with cephalothorax and mesothorax coalesced without marked segmentation; segments anterior to metathorax strongly swollen, much broader than postsoma, of which the prepygidial segments are all nearly the same width; and the vitis type, with cephalothorax and mesothorax with or without marked segmentation, and only segments anterior to mesothorax expanded. Lateral macroducts absent from thorax and abd. I. Abdominal segments II–VI with segmental rows of dorsal macroducts on submedial and submarginal areas; abd. IV–VI each with 2 marginal macroducts on each side, but with 1 on each side between L 1 and L 2, and 1 or 2 on each anterior margin of abd. IV. Pygidium usually with 3 pairs of lobes: L 1 well developed; L 2 and L 3 each formed of 2 lobules, with inner lobules more developed than outer lobules; gland spines absent from between L 1.

Distribution. Cosmopolitan.

Remarks. Aulacaspis is very similar to Chionaspis Signoret, 1868 in the pygidial margin characteristics and the distribution of dorsal macroducts, but in Aulacaspis the prosoma is coalesced, swollen, not clearly segmented and without lateral macroducts on abd. I and the thorax; whereas in Chionaspis , the prosoma is clearly segmented, not swollen and lateral macroducts are present on abd. I and the thorax. In addition, Pseudaulacaspis MacGillivray, 1921 resembles Aulacaspis in having the prosoma coalesced and swollen but differs by having a pair of setae between L 1 that Aulacaspis lacks.