Poliaspis media Maskell

Hardy, Nate & Henderson, Rosa C., 2011, Revision of Poliaspis (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Diaspididae), with descriptions of 8 new species from Australia, ZooKeys 137, pp. 1-40 : 10-11

Poliaspis media Maskell Fig. 8

Poliaspis media Maskell, 1880: 293

Poliaspis cycadis Comstock, 1883: 126-128. Syn. nov.

Poliaspis gaultheriae Green, 1920: 126-129. Syn. nov.

Material examined.

Poliaspis media Maskell

Lectotype designated by Henderson (2011). Female, New Zealand, labelled "Poliaspis media, females, from Leucopogon Fraseri (epacrid), June 1878 W.M.M." (NZAC). This is one of 3 slides remounted from 1 original Maskell slide by RC Henderson, 2001.

Poliaspis cycadis Comstock

Lectotype female here designated, the middle female of 3 on an original slide with two labels: (a) " Poliaspis cycadis Comst. [= undeciphered word]," (b) "816, Poliaspis cycadis , C.P. & Glye," both labels outlined in red and the coverslip ringed in black. USA: Washington DC, in conservatory, ex Cycas revoluta (USNM)

Paralectotypes: (i) the remaining 2 females on the lectotype slide; (ii) 1 female, same collection data (part of type material), subsequently remounted (BMNH); (iii) 2 females, each on a separate slide labelled: Poliaspis cycadis Comst., Type, on Dion edulis , Dept. Agr. D.C.; these subsequently remounted, and with scale cover under separate glass cover slip (USNM).

Poliaspis gautheriae Green

Lectotype female here designated, the female third from the label “TYPE” and marked with an arrow on the slide, in a row of 6 females: on Gaultheria depressa , Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland; additional data on envelope: Coll. W. Evans, Oct 1919 (BMNH).

Paralectotypes, all with same collection data: (i) the other 5 females and 4 2nd-exuvia on the lectotype slide; (ii) 7 females, 4 2nd-exuvia and 1 1st-exuvium; (iii) 3 females; (iv) 4 females, on Gaultheria ‘cycadis’ (under glass), November 1919, ex coll. E.E. Green (BMNH).

Comments.

The type material of Poliaspis cycadis is morphologically inseparable from Poliaspis media . Both species were discovered at about the same time (1880s) and at first the host differences (cycads versus wide host range) and geographic disjunction of North America and New Zealand presented a conundrum. Examination of the type material of Poliaspis gaultheriae , previously synonymized with Poliaspis cycadis by Balachowsky (1954), revealed it to be conspecific, but the only recorded host of Poliaspis gaultheria e was Gaultheria depressa , an endemic New Zealand plant that had been transported from NZ to Scotland. Thus the logical connection to Poliaspis media as the senior synonym became more credible. A further point is that specimens identified as Poliaspis cycadis collected on Cycas revoluta from Kew Gardens, UK, 1887, Coll. J.W. Douglas, are misidentifications of a mixture of Poliaspis syringae Laing and Furchadaspis zamiae (Morgan). We suggest that various collections of Poliaspis species on cycads may be chance populations on these host plants.