Diaspididae

Martin, Jon H. & Lau, Clive S. K., 2011, The Hemiptera-Sternorrhyncha (Insecta) of Hong Kong, China-an annotated inventory citing voucher specimens and published records, Zootaxa 2847, pp. 1-122 : 38-43

Diaspididae —Diaspidinae

Acanthomytilus imperatae (Kuwana, 1931)

Single sample in BMNH, from upper surfaces of blades of Saccharum sp. at Middle Gap Road, HK Island.

Andaspis hawaiiensis (Maskell, 1894)

Single small sample in BMNH, from a stem of Pyrus sp. , Hung Shui Kiu, probably the record quoted by Lee & Winney (1981).

Aonidomytilus albus (Cockerell, 1893)

Reported from HK by Takagi (1970: 134), under the synonym Coccomytilus dispar (Vayssière, 1914) , feeding on Manihot sp. but with no reference to voucher material.

Aulacaspis acronychiae Takagi & Martin (2010)

S ingle specimen (the holotype) in BMNH, from Acronychia pedunculata at Ma On Shan Country Park (NT). This had been provisionally determined by Sadao Takagi as A. guangdongensis Chen et al. (1980) , but further investigations have led to its description as a distinct species.

Aulacaspis alisiana Takagi (1970)

Samples in BMNH, from Machilus chinensis , Machilus sp. and an undetermined host. A note with the specimens suggests that this species may be a synonym of A. ferrisi Scott (1952) .

Aulacaspis calcarata Takagi (1999)

Single sample BMNH, from Machilus chekiangensis from Fei Ngo Shan (NT), is cautiously determined.

Aulacaspis crawii (Cockerell, 1898)

Vouchers in BMNH, from Aglaia odorata , Melia azedarach and Melia sp. , the latter sample being collected at the AFCD’s offices at Canton Road, Kowloon. Reported from HK by Lee & Winney (1981).

Aulacaspis divergens (Takahashi, 1935)

Reported from HK by Hua (2000) —see ScaleNet. No HK material in BMNH.

Aulacaspis machili (Takahashi, 1931)

A single sample in BMNH, from Machilus wangchiana at Shing Mun arboretum (NT), is provisionally determined.

Aulacaspis megaloba Scott (1952)

Described from Yunnan, China , with holotype in UCD, but Scott (1952) also reported this species from HK , with paratypes from Rubus sp. at Tai Po ( NT) collected by Ferris. No BMNH material from HK .

Aulacaspis murrayae Takahashi (1931)

Several samples in BMNH and PPRD, from Murraya paniculata and Murraya sp.

Aulacaspis robusta Takahashi (1931)

Single sample in BMNH, from undetermined host at Tai Tam Country Park, HK Island.

Aulacaspis thoracica Robinson (1917)

Single sample in BMNH, from Cocculus orbiculatus at Sai Kung (NT).

Aulacaspis tubercularis Newstead (1906)

Vouchers in BMNH, from Cinnamomum parthenoxylon , Litsea rotundifolia var. oblongifolia and Persea kadooriei .

Aulacaspis yabunikkei Kuwana (1926)

Vouchers in BMNH, from Cinnamomum parthenoxylon and Litsea glutinosa . There are three Takahashi slides in TARI, from HK in March 1940 (Shu-Pei Chen, pers. comm.), one with the host given as Lauraceae , and these are the material reported by Takahashi (1942). Also reported by Lee & Winney (1981).

Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi (1977)

Takagi (1977) described this species, collected from a cycad in Bangkok in 1972, mainly because it was the first record of a species of Aulacaspis on a cycad. It was not implicated as an economic species until the 1990s. It is now a serious pest of cycads and Hodgson & Martin (2001) compared its effects in HK and Singapore. Takagi, in Takagi & De Faveri (2009), discussed increasing morphological variability in this species, as it expands is geographical range and develops huge colonies in the absence of its native control agents. There are several HK samples in BMNH, and also material in PPRD, all from Cycas revoluta : several of these samples include the information that the affected cycads were dead or dying at the time of collecting scales from them.

Aulacaspis undetermined sp. or spp.

Single sample in BMNH, from Cinnamomum camphora at HK University, sent by Hill. Also five of Takahashi’s slide-mounted specimens (on five separate slides) are in TARI, from Lauraceae in HK in March 1940 (Shu-Pei Chen, pers. comm.).

Chionaspis eugeniae Maskell (1892)

see Pseudaulacaspis eugeniae (Maskell, 1892)

Chionaspis stanotophri Cooley (1899)

see Duplachionaspis natalensis (Maskell, 1896)

Chionaspis vermiformis Takahashi (1930)

see Mohelnaspis vermiformis (Takahashi, 1930)

Chionaspis undetermined sp. or spp

Vouchers in BMNH, from Chrysalidocarpus lutescens and Nerium oleander , the former from the Governor’s House, both samples labelled as Phenacaspis sp : these two records are almost certainly those listed by Lee & Winney (1981: 40), as Phenacaspis sp. In TARI (Shu-Pei Chen, pers. comm.) there is a single slide with specimens collected in HK: this bears the following data in a mixture of Japanese and English—“Shirochiku “, Hong Kong, 12.v.1913 ” on one label, and “ Phenacaspis , June 1936, Hong Kong, Shirochiku” on the other label, both labels apparently in Takahashi’s writing. Seiki Yamane, Kagoshima University, Japan (pers. comm.) reports the word “shirochiku” as having two possible interpretations, a Phyllostachys species (Poaceae) with a whitish stem, or the small palm Rhapis humilis —it is felt unlikely that determining the diaspid species further would give additional clues to its host. Our interpretation is that an unknown collector acquired the specimens in 1913, and that Takahashi made the slide and determined the specimens to genus level in 1936, some four years prior to his own fleeting visit to HK.

Coccomytilus dispar (Vayssière, 1914)

see Aonidomytilus albus (Cockerell, 1893)

Diaspis echinocacti (Bouché, 1833)

Single slide in BMNH, from Hylocereus undatus (Cactaceae) at TLF, with the words “quarantine intercept” but not stating the source of the sample. As this is unlikely to represent an established presence in HK, the record should be excluded from the check list—see Appendix 1.

Duplachionaspis natalensis (Maskell, 1896)

Reported from HK on sugar-cane by Takahashi (1936: 218), under the synonym Chionaspis stanotophri Cooley (1899) . No material in BMNH.

Fiorinia coronata Williams & Watson (1988)

Material from Jatropha hastata in a park on HK Island in 2005 (coll. Lau) is deposited at CDFA where it was sent and determined by Gillian Watson. Official eradication in HK was carried out following determination of this sample. No HK material in BMNH.

Fiorinia fioriniae (Targioni Tozzetti, 1867)

Vouchers in BMNH, from Averrhoa carambola , Camellia japonica and Gnetum luofuense . Reported from HK by Lee & Winney (1981).

Fiorinia japonica Kuwana (1902)

Reported from HK by Tao (1999b).

Fiorinia minor Maskell (1897)

Described from HK on undetermined palm ( Arecaceae ). Syntypes deposited in NZAC, UCD and USNM .

Fiorinia pinicola Maskell (1897)

Described from HK on Pinus sinensis , and from Taiwan on Cupressus juniperinus . Syntypes in CAS, UCD and USNM. Vouchers in BMNH from Araucaria sp. and Schefflera heptaphylla [= S. octophylla ]: one Araucaria sample had been determined as F. juniperi but ScaleNet states that all records of F. juniperi are misidentifications of F. pinicola .

Fiorinia theae Green (1900)

Single sample in BMNH, from Camellia japonica at Sha Tin (NT), probably the record quoted by Lee & Winney (1981).

Fiorinia turpiniae Takahashi (1934)

Reported from HK by Tao (1999b).

Fiorinia undetermined sp. or spp

Four samples in BMNH determined only as Fiorinia sp. , a genus that is notoriously difficult to identify because the delicate females are protected within the hard exuviae of the nymphs (they are termed “pupillarial”). These samples are from Citrus grandis at Tai Po Kau, Schefflera octophylla at North Point City Garden, Bambusa vulgaris at HK Botanical Garden and Ilex pubescens at Aberdeen Country Park. The Ilex pubescens sample appears to be closely related to F. taiwana Takahashi (1934) and similar species (Sadao Takagi, pers. comm.).

Formosaspis formosana (Takahashi, 1931)

Reported from bamboo in HK by Takahashi (1942), with three of Takahashi’s slides now located in TARI (Shu-Pei Chen, pers. comm.). No BMNH material from HK.

Formosaspis undetermined sp. 1

Single sample in BMNH, from bamboo at Shing Mun arboretum (NT).

Greenaspis elongata (Green, 1896)

Two samples in BMNH, from blades of bamboo at Po Lin Monastery (Lantau I.) and from Bambusa multiplex in Kowloon, are cautiously determined.

Insulaspis pinea Borchsenius (1964)

see Lepidosaphes pinea (Borchsenius, 1964)

Ischnafiorinia bambusae ( Maskell, 1897)

Described from HK on Bambusa fortunei . Syntypes deposited in NZAC, UCD and USNM—see ScaleNet. Single voucher sample present in BMNH, from Bambusa vulgaris on HK Island.

Kuwanaspis elongata (Takahashi, 1930)

Three adult females present in BMNH, from upper surface midrib of undetermined bamboo on High West summit, HK Island, are cautiously determined as this species.

Kuwanaspis hikosani (Kuwana, 1902)

Reported from HK by Tao (1999b), but vouchers unknown. Takahashi (1942) described K. hikosani var. hongkongensis from HK, the variety later synonymized with hikosani - see ScaleNet. No HK material in BMNH.

Kuwanaspis linearis (Green, 1922)

Single sample in BMNH, from undetermined bamboo at Shing Mun arboretum (NT). The specific determination is provisional and was provided by Sadao Takagi.

Lepidosaphes beckii (Newman, 1869)

Single sample in BMNH, from Citrus grandis at TLF.

Lepidosaphes chinensis Chamberlin (1925)

Single sample in BMNH, from Cymbidium sinense at TLF.

Lepidosaphes cocculi (Green, 1896)

Single sample in BMNH, from Gnetum luofuense at Aberdeen Country Park, provisionally determined.

Lepidosaphes corni Takahashi (1957)

Single sample in BMNH, from Acronychia pedunculata at Tai Tam Country Park, provisionally determined.

Lepidosaphes cupressi Borchsenius (1958)

Single sample in BMNH, intercepted from HK at London Heathrow airport, UK, but with no further data. This may have been from a transhipment plant. The occurrence of this species in HK is somewhat uncertain.

Lepidosaphes cycadicola Kuwana (1931)

Single sample in BMNH, from Osmanthus fragrans , provisionally determined.

Lepidosaphes gloverii (Packard, 1869)

Vouchers in BMNH, from Citrus sp. , C. grandis and C. paradisi . Reported from HK by Lee & Winney (1981).

Lepidosaphes laterochitinosa Green (1925)

Single sample in BMNH, from Schefflera actinophylla on HK Island, cautiously determined.

Lepidosaphes pinea (Borchsenius, 1964)

Single sample in BMNH, from Pinus taeda at Shing Mun (NT). This HK record was discussed by Williams (1971), under the original combination Insulaspis pinea , and is probably that listed as Lepidosaphes sp. by Lee & Winney (1981).

Lepidosaphes pitysophila Takagi (1970)

Single sample in BMNH, from Pinus sp.

Lepidosaphes tapleyi Williams (1960)

Single sample in BMNH, from Pinus elliottii .

Lepidosaphes yanagicola Kuwana (1925)

Single sample in BMNH, from undetermined host, provisionally determined by Sadao Takagi (pers. comm.)

Lepidosaphes undetermined sp. 1

Single sample in BMNH, from Cymbidium sinense , has been cautiously matched with a slide from Taiwan bearing a Takahashi manuscript name.

Mohelnaspis vermiformis (Takahashi, 1930)

Single slide in BMNH, from upper surface of blade of Bambusa vulgaris in HK Botanical Gardens. Takahashi (1942) reported this species from HK under its original combination, Chionaspis vermiformis . Also reported from HK by Takagi (1970), quoting Takahashi.

Nanhaiaspis chiulungensis Takagi & Martin (2010)

Single sample in BMNH (coll. Martin, 2001), from rolled leaf bases of undetermined bamboo at Shing Mun arboretum (NT), represented an undescribed genus and species, described and discussed by Takagi & Martin (2010).

Neoquernaspis chiulungensis ( Takagi, 1977)

Single sample in BMNH, from Castanopsis indica , from Takagi’s collection.

Phenacaspis undetermined sp. or spp

see Chionaspis undetermined sp. or spp

Pinnaspis aspidistrae (Signoret, 1869)

Reported from HK by Wu (1935) —see ScaleNet.

Pinnaspis buxi (Bouché, 1851)

Reported from HK by Nakahara (1982: 70).

Pinnaspis hainnanensis Tang (1986)

Single sample in BMNH, from unrecorded host at TLF, cautiously determined.

Pinnaspis strachani (Cooley, 1899)

HK samples in BMNH from Citrus sp. and Rhododendron sp.

Pseudaulacaspis cockerelli (Cooley, 1897) (Fig. 30)

Samples in BMNH and PPRD, from Vernicia montana [= Aleurites montana ], Canarium album , Ficus microcarpa , Gnetum luofuense , Ilex cinerea , I. viridis , Michelia alba , M. champaca , M. figo , “oleander” ( Nerium oleander ) and Thevetia peruviana .

Pseudaulacaspis dendrobii (Kuwana, 1931)

Described from HK material intercepted at Kobe, Japan, on Dendrobium sp. Type depository is given by ScaleNet as “Ibaraki-ken, Insect Taxonomy Laboratory, National Institute of Agricultural Environmental Sciences, Kannon-dai, Yatabe, Tsukuba-shi, (Kuwana), Japan ”. Four HK samples in BMNH, from Chrysalidocarpus lutescens at Governor’s House, and from HK Island on Lepironia articulata , an undetermined ornamental grass and an undetermined member of the Cyperaceae .

Pseudaulacaspis eugeniae (Maskell, 1892)

Reported from HK by Maskell (1897: 242), as Chionaspis eugeniae , on undetermined palm and undetermined grass. No HK material in BMNH.

Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni Tozzetti, 1886)

Samples in BMNH and PPRD, from Allamanda cathartica , Firmiana simplex , Prunus persica and Rhus chinensis . Reported from HK by Lee & Winney (1981).

Pseudaulacaspis simplex Takagi (1961)

Single sample in BMNH, from Sapium discolor at Tai Po Kau (NT).

Pseudaulacaspis undetermined sp. 1

Single sample in BMNH, from Ficus microcarpa on HK Island, sent by Hill.

Pygalataspis miscanthi Ferris (1921)

Single large sample in BMNH (coll. Martin) from ligules at blade bases of undetermined tall grass near the old Tung Chung village (Lantau I.). Voucher material was also presented to Sadao Takagi (HUSJ). Takagi (1997) published the description of the first-instar nymph from material collected from Miscanthus sp. on the Kowloon peninsula in 1965 by an unstated collector. Takagi also stated that Ferris had reported this species from HK in 1955. Reported from HK by Tao (1999b).

Serrataspis maculata Ferris (1955)

Reported from HK by Tao (1999b).

Smilacicola crenatus Takagi (1983)

Described from HK Island on Smilax sp. , holotype is in HUSJ. See Takagi (1983) for discussion .

Thysanofiorinia leei Williams (1971)

Described from HK. Holotype and paratypes on “lychee ( Nephelium sp. )” [almost certainly Litchi chinensis ] from the former Governor’s Lodge at Fanling ( NT); also paratypes on same host from Taiwan (all type material in BMNH). This record is the basis for Lee & Winney’s (1981) listing .

Thysanofiorinia nephelii ( Maskell, 1897)

Maskell’s brief description mentions China as a collecting locality, and Williams (1971) also reported T. nephelii from “ China (mainland and Taiwan) ”. A former reference in ScaleNet, quoting HK as a syntype locality, was incorrect but HK voucher material exists in USNM in the form of quarantine material from Litchi chinensis fruit, intercepted at Seattle from HK in 1973 (D. Miller pers. comm.). Tao (1999b) listed this species for HK, but gave no further details.

Unaspis citri (Comstock, 1883)

Reported from HK by Wu (1935) —see ScaleNet.

Unaspis euonymi (Comstock, 1881)

Reported from HK by Nakahara (1982: 85).

Unaspis yanonensis (Kuwana, 1923)

Reported from HK by Blackburn & Miller (1984b: 3).

Diaspidinae, undetermined genus 1

Single slide in BMNH, with two curious immature stages, from upper midrib of undetermined bamboo on High West summit, HK Island (coll. Martin). Three females of Kuwanaspis ? elongata (Takahashi) (q.v.) are also on this slide.