Acutaspis scutiformis (Cockerell)

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 : 249

Acutaspis scutiformis (Cockerell)

Aspidiotus scutiformis Cockerell 1893a: 48 .

Aspidiotus (Chrysomphalus) scutiformis (Cockerell) ; Cockerell 1897a: 25.

Chysomphalus scutiformis (Cockerell) ; Berlese & Leonardi 1898: 116.

Acutaspis scutiformis (Cockerell) ; Ferris 1941a: 207.

Insaspidiotus scutiformis (Cockerell) ; Costa Lima 1942: 289.

Acutaspis scutiformis (Cockerell) ; Borchsenius 1966: 355.

Field diagnosis. Adult female scale cover circular, flat to slightly convex and rigid, dark brown, about 1.5 mm in diameter (although García Morales et al. (2016) indicate that it can reach 3.0 mm), with subcentral yellow exuviae. Body of live adult female pyriform, with acute pygidium, whitish, usually about 1.2 mm long.

Discussion. Acutaspis scutiformis can be mistaken for Ac. albopicta , although these species can be differentiated by some morphological characteristics, such as the relative sizes of the external paraphyses on L2, as discussed above.

Habits on the hosts. Individuals of Ac. scutiformis were obtained from branches, fruits and leaves. On branches and fruits, it was observed in small groups or individually, while on the leaves, the scales were mainly found on the abaxial surface. The scale was generally found associated with other diaspidid species like C. dictyospermi , H. cyanophylli , H. diffinis and H. lataniae .

Hosts. Acutaspis scutiformis has been reported attacking members of 10 plant genera belonging to seven families, causing damage to some economically important species such as citrus and avocado ( García Morales et al. 2016). In this study it was found associated with the avocado varieties Fuerte, Hass and Hass-Jiménez.

Distribution. The species that has been reported in six countries in the Americas; in México it has been recorded in Guerrero, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz states ( García Morales et al. 2016). In this study it was found in the following states and orchards: State of México: Bordo 2 and San Jose 2; Puebla: El Arco; Colima: Piedra Rajada, Agosto and Rancho Alto; and Nayarit: Los Terreros.

Natural enemies. Two species of hymenopteran parasitoid have been reported attacking Ac. scutiformis : Aphytis hispanicus (Aphelinidae) and Signiphora perpauca (Signiphoridae) ( García Morales et al. 2016; Noyes 2019). In the present study, the following species were found parasitizing it: Aph. holoxanthus (4F), Coccobius juliae (2F, 1M), Encarsia citrina (1F), E. gaonae (5F, 1M), E. juanae (2F), E. titillata (1F), S. bennetti (7F) and S. falcata (3F, 1M).