Hemiptera of Cyprus : Diaspididae Family

Acanthomytilus sacchari Diaspididae
Aonidia lauri Diaspididae
Aonidiella aurantii Diaspididae
Aonidiella citrina Diaspididae
Aspidiotus hedericola Diaspididae
Aspidiotus nerii Diaspididae
Aulacaspis crawii Diaspididae
Aulacaspis rosae Diaspididae
Chionaspis salicis Diaspididae
Chrysomphalus aonidum Diaspididae
Diaspidiotus gigas Diaspididae
Diaspidiotus lenticularis Diaspididae
Duplachionaspis natalensis Diaspididae
Dynaspidiotus britannicus Diaspididae
Dynaspidiotus greeni Diaspididae
Epidiaspis gennadii Diaspididae
Gomezmenoraspis pinicola Diaspididae
Hemiberlesia lataniae Diaspididae
Hemiberlesia palmae Diaspididae
Hemiberlesia rapax Diaspididae
Lepidosaphes beckii Diaspididae
Lepidosaphes conchiformis Diaspididae
Lepidosaphes flava Diaspididae
Lepidosaphes pistaciae Diaspididae
Lepidosaphes ulmi Diaspididae
Leucaspis knemion Diaspididae
Leucaspis pusilla Diaspididae
Leucaspis riccae Diaspididae
Leucaspis signoreti Diaspididae
Lineaspis striata Diaspididae
Melanaspis inopinata Diaspididae
Mercetaspis halli Diaspididae
Parlatoria oleae Diaspididae
Parlatoria pergandii Diaspididae
Parlatoria ziziphi Diaspididae
Salicicola pistaciae Diaspididae

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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]