Superturmaspis schizosoma (Takagi, 1970), revived combination

Chionaspis schizosoma Takagi, 1970: 77.

Superturmaspis schizosoma (Takagi, 1970); Chen 1983: 86. Change of combination.

Aulacaspis schizosoma (Takagi, 1970); Takagi 1985: 49. Change of combination.

Semichionaspis schizosoma (Takagi, 1970); Tang 1986: 170. Change of combination.

Aulacaspis schizosoma (Takagi, 1970); Takagi 1999: 149. Revived combination.

Material examined.

China, Zhejiang Province, Taohua Island in Zhoushan Islands, on Lauraceae leaves, coll. Niu Minmin, 31.v.2017 (at NWAFU) .

Remarks.

We confirmed the non-monophyly of the genus-level relationships and taxonomy of Chionaspidina, including the genera Aulacaspis and Chionaspis (Normark et al. 2019). The same level of strong statistical support was observed for the species in our two molecular phylogenetic trees (ML and BI trees, Figs 6, 7). On those phylogenetic trees, Superturmaspis schizosoma comprises a clade separate from the one that includes the genera Aulacaspis, Chionaspis, Duplachionaspis, Pinnaspis and Megacanthaspis (In ML tree, the bootstrap value is 52, and in BI tree, the posterior probability is 1).

Our phylogenetic study has demonstrated that the type species of Aulacaspis and Chionaspis ( A. rosae and C. salicis) are more closely related to each other than either is to Superturmaspis schizosoma . Hence, A. schizosoma was wrongly assigned to Aulacaspis (Figs 6, 7), although the species Superturmaspis schizosoma (Takagi, 1970) is morphologically very close to Aulacaspis, sharing very similar characters of the pygidial margin and a similar distribution of dorsal ducts, but differing by being widest across the mesothorax, body of adult female is top form in outline, pronounced contracted segmentation on lateral margins which contains the cephalothorax and abdominal segments preceding the pygidium.

We transferred the species back to Superturmaspis based on our molecular analysis. Superturmaspis was previously established by Chen, 1983, and included only one species, Superturmaspis schizosoma . The adult female specimens (Fig. 5) substantially agree with the type-series from Taiwan (Takagi 1970). The body of the adult female is robust at maturity, spinning top form in outline, widest across the mesothorax, pronouncedly contracted segmentation on lateral margins which contains the cephalothorax and abdominal segments preceding the pygidium, and marginal macroducts rather stout and long.