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Diaspididae

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Diaspididae
Three species of armored scales
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
Superfamily: Coccoidea
Family: Diaspididae
Maskell, 1878

Diaspididae is the largest family of scale insects 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 exuviae from the first two nymphal instars and sometimes faecal matter and fragments of the host plant.[1] These can be complex and extremely waterproof structures rather resembling a suit of armor. 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. 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.[2]

Selected species

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Notable species include:

Subfamilies

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The classification of the subfamilies and tribes of Diaspididae has varied in recent years. Research published in 2019 classified the subfamilies and tribes of Diaspididae as follows:[3][4]

Subfamily Ancepaspidinae (New World, 6 genera)
Subfamily Aspidiotinae
Tribe Aonidiini (Old World, mostly Australasian and Oriental, 36 genera)
Tribe Aspidiotini (cosmopolitan, 88 genera)
Tribe Gymnaspidini (Neotropical, 3 genera)
Tribe Leucaspidini (almost exclusively Old World, 11 genera)
Tribe Odonaspidini (mostly Oriental, 5 genera)
Tribe Parlatoriini (mostly Oriental, 25 genera)
Tribe Smilacicolini (Oriental, 1 genus)
Subfamily Diaspidinae
Tribe Lepidosaphidini (cosmopolitan, 103 genera)
Tribe Diaspidini
Subtribe Chionaspidina (cosmopolitan except South America, 48 genera)
Subtribe Diaspidina (cosmopolitan except Australasia, 13 genera)
Subtribe Fioriniina (almost exclusively Old World, 64 genera)
Subfamily Furcaspidinae (Pantropical, 1 genus)

See Also

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List of Diaspididae genera

References

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  1. ^ Miller, Douglass R.; Davidson, John A. (2005). Armored Scale Insect Pests of Trees and Shrubs (Hemiptera : Diaspididae). Cornell University Press. p. 1. ISBN 0-8014-4279-6.
  2. ^ Delabie, J.H.C. (2001). "Trophobiosis between Formicidae and Hemiptera (Sternorrhyncha and Auchenorrhyncha): an overview". Neotropical Entomology. 30 (4): 501–516. doi:10.1590/S1519-566X2001000400001.
  3. ^ García Morales, M.; Denno, B. D.; Miller, D. R.; Miller, G. L.; et al. "ScaleNet: A literature-based model of scale insect biology and systematics". doi:10.1093/database/bav118. Retrieved 2024-10-19.
  4. ^ "Catalogue of Life, Diaspididae Targioni Tozzetti 1868". Retrieved 2025-01-20.
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