Diaspididae

Henderson, Rosa C., Sultan, Amir & Robertson, Alastair W., 2010, Scale insect fauna (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) of New Zealand’s pygmy mistletoes (Korthalsella: Viscaceae) with description of three new species: Leucaspis albotecta, L. trilobata (Diaspididae) and Eriococcus korthalsellae (Eriococcidae), Zootaxa 2644, pp. 1-24 : 4

Family Diaspididae

In pupillarial armoured scale insects such as the genus Leucaspis , the 2nd-instar female nymphal skin is not cast off to be incorporated in the waxy scale cover as in most other diaspidids, but instead it becomes sclerotised and completely encloses the membranous 3rd-instar adult female. The advantage for taxonomy is that the additional characters of the 2nd-instar nymphal pupillarium allow for a combination diagnosis because one is always available with each adult female, even though these characters may be masked by the heavy sclerotisation of the pupillarium. If membranous 2nd-instar female nymphs are also available, they add clarity to these same features.

Key in three parts to separate the two Leucaspis species described below on Korthalsella species: (1) adult female; (2) pupillarium/female 2nd-instar; and (3) 2nd-instar male

1. Adult female: host plant Korthalsella salicornioides ................................................... albotecta Henderson sp. nov.

- adult female: host plants Korthalsella clavata & K. lindsayi .......................................... trilobata Henderson sp. nov.

2. Pupillarium: (i) with 1 to 2 pairs of submedian dorsal ducts on at least 3 abdominal segments; (ii) dorsal sclerotisation pattern a mosaic of dark and light tiny spots. 2nd-instar female nymph: (i) submedian dorsal ducts as for pupillarium; (ii) submarginal dorsal duct on VII close to anterior end of median lobe; (iii) pygidial lobes tending clubshaped ............................................................................................................................. albotecta Henderson sp. nov.

- Pupillarium: (i) with 1 pair of submedian dorsal ducts on segment V only; (ii) dorsal sclerotisation pattern composed of larger dark textured spots separated by tiny clear spots. 2nd-instar female nymph: (i) submedian dorsal ducts as for pupillarium plus microducts on prepygidial segments; (ii) submarginal dorsal duct on VII close to pygidium margin; (iii) pygidial lobes slender ......................................................................................... trilobata Henderson sp. nov.

3. 2 nd-instar male nymph: dorsal submedian ducts all similar ....................................... albotecta Henderson sp. nov.

- 2nd-instar male nymph: dorsal submedian ducts of 2 distinct sizes, with macroducts becoming numerous large microducts on anterior segments ..................................................................................... trilobata Henderson sp. nov.