Hemiberlesia diffinis (Newstead)

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 : 256-257

Hemiberlesia diffinis (Newstead)

Aspiditous affinis Newstead, 1893a: 186 .

Aspidiotus diffinis Newstead 1893b: 281 .

Aspidiotus (Diaspidiotus) diffinis (Newstead) ; Cockerell, 1897a: 23.

Hemiberlesia diffinis (Newstead) ; Leonardi, 1897a: 133.

Aspidiotus jatrophae Townsend & Cockerell, 1898: 178 .

Aspidiotus jatrophae parrotti Newell 1899: 23 .

Hemiberlesia jatrophae (Townsend & Cockerell) ; Leonardi 1900: 339.

Aspidiotus diffinis parrotti (Newell) ; Fernald 1903: 258.

Hemiberlesia diffinis parrotti (Newell) ; MacGillivray 1921: 438.

Abgrallaspis diffinis (Newstead) ; Komosinska 1969: 60.

Hemiberlesia diffinis (Newstead) ; Miller & Davidson 1998: 197.

Field diagnosis. Adult female cover waxy to creamy white, circular or slightly oval, 1.5 to 2.0 mm in diameter, with subcentral exuviae yellow to slightly brown. Body of live adult female membranous, pale yellow, pyriform with slightly acute pygidium, 0.7‒0.9 mm long.

Discussion. According to Miller & Davidson (1998), H. diffinis can be confused with H. neodiffinis Miller & Davidson , because both species have the same characteristics of waxy cover, size, and morphology. However, in slide mounts they differ in the following morphological characters: H. diffinis has a macroduct between L1 on the pygidium (absent in H. neodiffinis ), and the plates before L3 each contain more than one microduct (each contain only one microduct in H. neodiffinis ).

Habits on the hosts. The scale was found primarily associated with branches but leaves and fruits are also affected. Hemiberlesia diffinis was observed individually or in groups, in many cases associated with other armored scale species such as Ac. albopicta , Ac. scutiformis , Chr. dictyospermi , Da. aguacatae , D. near coccois , H. crescentiae , H. cyanophylli , H. lataniae , H. rapax , Ho. biclavis , L. pinnaeformis and P. parlatorioides .

Hosts. The scale has been reported to attack members of 35 genera belonging to 27 plant families, including several species of economic importance, including avocado ( García Morales et al. 2016). In our study, H. diffinis was found attacking the avocado varieties Hass, Hass-Méndez, Fuerte, Mexicano 1, Mexicano 2, Vitacalli, Padua and Kila.

Distribution. Hemiberlesia diffinis has been recorded in 16 countries in the Americas. In México, it has been reported in Baja California and Tabasco ( García Morales et al. 2016). In the present study, it was found in the following states and orchards: Morelos: Xolosuchitl 3, San Miguel, Isla Chica 1, Paraíso, Tezantetelco and Tlalnepantla 1; Puebla: La Aguacatera, Acapulco, Amexatl 1, Amexatl 2, El Arco and La Cuesta; Colima: Piedra Rajada, Agosto and La Calma; Nayarit: Camino Cerro San Juan, Crucero Carrizal, Los Terreros, Camichin 1, El Aguacate, Entrada El Cuarenteño and La Fortuna; Jalisco: Frutícola GMI-3 Marías, Agro Leal, Loma Delgada 1, Loma Delgada 2, Jasmín 1 and Jasmín 2; and Querétaro: Adjuntas de Rancho Quemado, Rancho Quemado and Adjuntas de Higueras.

Natural enemies. No natural enemies have been registered for this armored scale. However, our study obtained 201 individuals parasitizing this scale, belonging to the families Aphelinidae : Aphytis holoxanthus (14F, 6M), A. lepidosaphes (5F, 1M), A. lingnanensis (3M), A. melinus (2F, 8M),) Coccobius juliae (1M), Encarsia citrina (3F), E. juanae (11F), E. lounsburyi (11F), E. subelongata (1F), E. tarsalis (1F); Encyrtidae : Archinus sp. (1F), Metaphycus sp. 2 (1F), Metaphycus sp. 4 (1M), Plagiomerus diaspidis (3F, 3M); Signiphoridae : Chartocerus sp. (1F), Signiphora dozieri (1F), S. falcata (1F, 1M), S. fax (8F, 3M), S. flavella (34F, 44M), S. merceti (2F), S. mexican a (1F, 1M), S. perpauca (23F, 3M), and S. tumida (1M).