Aspidiotus nerii (Bouché)

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 : 250-252

Aspidiotus nerii (Bouché)

Diaspis obliquum Costa 1829: 2 .

Aspidiotus nerii Bouché 1833: 52 .

Aspidiotus genistae Westwood 1840: 118 .

Diaspis bouchei Targioni Tozzetti 1867: 13 .

Chermes aloes Boisduval 1867: 327 .

Chermes cycadicola Boisduval 1867: 345 .

Chermes ericae Boisduval 1867: 330 .

Chermes nerii (Bouché) ; Boisduval 1868: 281.

Aspidiotus affinis Targioni Tozzetti 1868: 736 .

Aspidiotus caldesii Targioni Tozzeti 1868: 736 .

Aspidiotus denticulatus Targioni Tozzeti 1868: 736 .

Aspidiotus villosus Targioni Tozzeti 1868: 736 .

Aspidiotus bouchei Targioni Tozzetti 1868: 13 .

Aspidiotus aloes (Boisduval) ; Signoret 1869a: 843.

Aspidiotus cycadicola (Boisduval) Signoret 1869b: 119 . Aspidiotus ericae (Boisduval) Signoret 1869b: 121 .

Aspidiotus budleiae Signoret 1869b: 115 .

Aspidiotus capparis Signoret 1869b: 129 .

Aspidotus ceratoniae Signoret 1869b: 118 .

Aspidiotus epidendri Signoret 1869b: 121 .

Aspidiotus genistae Signoret 1869b: 122 .

Aspidiotus gnidii Signoret 1869b: 122 .

Aspidiotus ilicis Signoret 1869b: 123 .

Aspidiotus limonii Signoret 1869b: 125 .

Aspidiotus myricinae Signoret 1869b: 125 .

Aspidiotus ulicis Signoret 1869b: 132 .

Aspidiotus vriesciae Signoret 1869b: 134 .

Aspidiotus budleiae Signoret 1869a: 845 .

Aspidiotus limonii Signoret 1869a: 860 .

Aspidiotus vrieseiae Signoret 1869a: 876 .

Coccus limonii (Signoret) ; Murray 1871: 342.

Aspidiotus lentisci Signoret 1877: 601 .

Aspidiotus? osmanthi Signoret 1877: 621 .

Aspidiotus atherospermae Maskell 1879: 198 .

Apidiotus dysoxyli Maskell 1879: 198 .

Aspidiotus oleae Colvée 1880: 39 .

Aspidiotus corynocarpi Colvée 1881: 39 .

Aspidiotus oleastri Colvée 1882: 12 .

Aspidiotus sophorae Maskell 1884: 121 .

Aspidiotus carpodeti Maskell 1885: 21 .

Aspidiotus nerii limonii (Bouché) ; Cockerell 1896: 334.

Aspidiotus epidendri Cockerell 1896: 334 .

Aspidiotus nerii (Bouche) ; Cockerell 1897a: 18.

Aspidiotus osmanthi Cockerell 1897a: 30 .

Aspidiotus (Evaspidiotus) hederae (Signoret) ; Leonardi 1898: 76.

Aspidiotus hederae nerii (Bouché) ; Hunter 1899: 11.

Aspidiotus hederae carpodeti (Maskell) ; Cockerell & Parrott 1899: 276.

Aspidiotus hederae limonii (Signoret) ; Cockerell 1900: 350.

Aspidiotus transparens rectangulatus Lindiger 1913: 97 .

Aspidiotus confusus Froggatt 1914: 136 .

Aspidiotus transvaalensis Leonardi 1914: 198 .

Aspidiotus tasmaniae Green 1915: 50 .

Octaspidiotus atherospermae (Maskell) ; MacGillivray 1921: 395.

Aspidiotus hederae urenae Hall 1923: 19 .

Aspidiotus hederae unipectinata Carimini 1930: 121 .

Aspidiotus (Dynaspidiotus) hederae (Signoret) ; Thiem & Gerneck 1934:131.

Chermes hederae (Signoret) ; Ferris 1937: 62.

Chermes genistae (Westwood) ; Ferris 1941b: 43.

Chermes osmanthi (Signoret) ; Ferris 1941b: 46.

Aspidiotus rectangulatus (Lindinger) ; Ferris 1941b: 47.

Aspidiotus unipectinatus (Carimini) ; Ferris 1941b: 49.

Aspidiotus urenae (Hall) ; Ferris 1941b: 49.

Aspidiotus fonsecai Giannoti 1942: 214 .

Octaspidiotus athospermae (Maskell) ; Balachowsky 1948: 272.

Aspidiotus hederae hederae (Signoret) ; Schmutterer 1952: 566.

Aspidiotus hederae unisexualis Schmutterer 1952: 566 .

Aspidiotus nerii Borchsenius 1966: 261 .

Field diagnosis. Adult female scale cover white, semicircular, flat to convex, with yellow subcentral exuviae. According to Watson (2002), the scale cover can measure 1.5 to 2.0 mm in diameter and is semi-translucent yellowish white to slightly tan. Body of live adult female unsclerotised, whitish and slightly oval or pyriform.

Discussion. Based on the color of the scale-cover and body shape, Asp. nerii can be easily mistaken for H. cyanophylli ; however, it can be differentiated morphologically, in slide mounts, because H. cyanophylli has dorsal pygidial macroducts approximately 15 times longer than wide, whereas in Asp. nerii these macroducts are only five times longer than wide.

Habits on the hosts. In this study, Asp. nerii was found mainly on leaves but also on branches, displacing other scale species such as D. near coccois . On both substrates it was found associated with other diaspidid species such as Ao. aurantii , D. near coccois , H. lataniae and H. rapax .

Hosts. Aspidiotus nerii is a polyphagous species that attacks members of 239 plant genera belonging to 120 families, some of which are economically important such as mango, walnut, coconut, agave, asparagus, avocado, pomegranate, fig, banana, apple, lemon, tomato, potato and grape, among others ( Watson 2002; García Morales et al. 2016). In México it has been found on walnut, plum, peach, pear and apple (González Hernández & Atkinson 1984). In this study it was collected on the avocado variety Mexicano 1.

Distribution. Aspidiotus nerii is cosmopolitan, present in 74 countries in Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Australia ( Watson 2002; García Morales et al. 2016). In this study it was recorded only in the State of México: Tequexquinahuac, Texcoco, and La Purificación, Texcoco orchards.

Natural enemies. The natural enemies attacking Asp. nerii belong to 23 genera from 10 families, among which are the following parasitoid wasp genera: Aphytis , Coccophagus , Encarsia (Aphelinidae) ; Adelencyrtus , Aphycus , Habrolepis , Metaphycus , Zelaphycus (Encyrtidae) ; and Signiphora (Signiphoridae) . Predators of Asp. nerii include members of the beetle genera Myzomorphus (Cerambicidae) , Chilocorus , Coccidophilus , Exochomus , Nephus, Paroscymnus , Rhyzobius (Coccinellidae) and Milocerus ( Curculionidae ); also, lacewings in Chrysoperla (Chrysopidae) ; thrips in Aleurodothrips and Karnyothrips (Phlaeothripidae) ; mites in Hemisarcoptes (Hemisarcoptidae) ; and fungi in Microcera (Nectriaceae) ( Watson 2002; Garcia-Morales et al. 2016). In the present study, two species attacking the scale were obtained: Coccobius juliae (1F, 1M) and Encarsia titillata (1F).