Diaspididae is the largest family of

scale insect Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than the ...

s with over 2650 described species in around 400 genera. As with all scale insects, the female produces a waxy protective scale beneath which it feeds on its host plant. Diaspidid scales are far more substantial than those of most other families, incorporating the

exuvia In biology, exuviae are the remains of an exoskeleton and related structures that are left after ecdysozoans (including insects, crustaceans and arachnids) have moulted. The exuviae of an animal can be important to biologists as they can often b ...

e from the first two nymphal

instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...

s and sometimes faecal matter and fragments of the host plant. These can be complex and extremely waterproof structures rather resembling a suit of

armor Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...

. For this reason these insects are commonly referred to as armored scale insects. As it is so robust and firmly attached to the host plant, the scale often persists long after the insect has died. Some African Diaspididae are attended by ants of genus ''

Melissotarsus ''Melissotarsus'' is a rare African genus of ants in the subfamily Myrmicinae. They are known from the Afrotropics and Malagasy regions, where their nests are located in living wood, built by tunneling through the wood under the bark. They a ...

''. The ants appear to consume the armored scales because Diaspididae are completely naked when ant-attended; the ant nest itself remains completely hidden under the bark of the tree.

Selected species

Well-known species include: * '' Abgrallaspis cyanophylli'', the cyanophyllum scale * ''

Aonidiella aurantii ''Aonidiella aurantii'' or red scale is an armored scale insect and a major pest of citrus. It is thought to be a native of South China but has been widely dispersed by the agency of man through the movement of infected plant material. In the ...

'', the California red scale * ''

Aonidomytilus crookiae ''Aonidomytilus crookiae'' is a species of scale insect in the family Diaspididae which are often referred to as "armored scale insects."Kosztarab, M. 1963. The Armored Scale Insects of Ohio (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Diaspididae). ''Bulletin of th ...

'' the St. John's Wort Scale * ''

Aulacaspis yasumatsui ''Aulacaspis yasumatsui'', or cycad aulacaspis scale (CAS), is a scale insect species in the genus '' Aulacaspis'' that feeds on cycad species such as ''Cycas revoluta''Aulacaspis yasumatsui (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Diaspididae), a Scale Inse ...

'', the cycad aulacaspis scale * ''

Carulaspis minima ''Carulaspis minima'' is an armoured scale insect, in the subtribe Diaspidina of the family Diaspididae, and is commonly known as the minute cypress scale. It was first described in 1869 by the French entomologist Victor Antoine Signoret. It f ...

'', the minute cypress scale * ''

Diaspidiotus perniciosus The San Jose scale (''Quadraspidiotus perniciosus'') is a hemipterous insect in the family Diaspididae. It is an agricultural pest as it causes damage and crop losses to many fruit crops. In 1914, ''Q. perniciosus'' became the first documented ...

'', the San Jose scale * ''

Hemiberlesia lataniae ''Hemiberlesia lataniae'', the latania or palm scale, is a species of armored scale insect in the family Diaspididae. It was first described by the French entomologist Victor Antoine Signoret in 1869 using '' Latania lontaroides'', a species of p ...

'', the latania or palm scale * ''

Lepidosaphes beckii ''Lepidosaphes beckii'' also known as purple scale, mussel scale, citrus mussel scale, orange scale, comma scale and mussel purple scale is a scale insect that is a pest of ''Citrus'' trees. The small insects attach themselves to leaves, fruits ...

'', the citrus mussel scale * '' Lepidosaphes ulmi'', the oystershell scale * ''

Quadraspidiotus juglansregiae ''Quadraspidiotus juglansregiae'', commonly known as the walnut scale, is a species of armoured scale insect in the family Diaspididae. It is native to North America where it feeds on a wide range of ornamental and forest trees and bushes. Desc ...

'', the walnut scale

Genera

References

* * *

External links

Diaspididae
a

Scale insects Hemiptera families Neococcoids {{Diaspididae-stub