Torosaspis Ülgentürk, 2011

Ülgentürk, Selma & Kozár, Ferenc, 2011, A new scale insect genus, Torosaspis (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea: Diaspididae), with a new species, Torosaspis turcica, from Turkey, Zootaxa 2907, pp. 63-68 : 64

Torosaspis Ülgentürk gen. nov.

Type species: Torosaspis turcica Ülgentürk and Kozár sp. nov.

Generic diagnosis. Scale of female oyster-shell shaped. Adult female elongate, oval, derm membranous. Antennae reduced to one-segmented stubs, each with 2 or 3 thick setae. Trilocular disc pores associated with anterior spiracle. Glandular tubercles present submarginally on metathorax and abdominal segments I-III. Pygidium with 2 pairs of well-developed lobes, L3 reduced. Median gland spines at least as long as median lobes; other gland spines well developed, as long as median lobes. Marginal macroducts all single on segments IV–VII (formula 1,1,1,1). Perivulvar pores when present, in 5 distinct groups.

Affinities. Torosaspis gen. nov. may be related to Acanthomytilus and Lepidosaphes Shimer (1868) and especially to the last, but distinguishable from the latter two in having the marginal macroducts all single. In this character, it agrees with Pallulaspis Ferris (1937) and Mercetaspis Gomez Menor Ortega (1927) . It differs from these genera in the distribution of dorsal macroduct on the pygidium. Furthermore, Mercetaspis is very peculiar in lacking marginal appendages on the pygidium. It is doubtful, therefore, that these three genera are particularly closely related phylogenetically.