Kilifia acuminata (Signoret)

Family

Coccidae

Common name

Acuminate scale

Field characters

Body broadly oval, triangular, head narrowly rounded, posterior apex broadly rounded; flat in cross section; body pale green or yellow green; without an obvious wax covering; ovisac absent. Occurring on leaves.

Validation characters

Tibio-tarsal spur absent or broadly rounded; anal plates with anterolateral margin longer than posterolateral margin, anterolateral margin less than 2 times length of posterolateral margin; hind 2 pairs of legs conspicuously larger than front legs; hind 2 pairs of coxae with unusual cavity laterodistally; anal plates in middle or anterior part of abdomen; without tubular ducts; dorsal setae capitate; marginal setae conspicuously fringed, slightly enlarged. Other characters: Claw without denticle; claw digitules equal; 1 pair of prevulvar setae (often obscured by anal plates); 6 to 15 submarginal tubercles around body margin; stigmatic setae differentiated from other marginal setae, middle seta longer than lateral setae; each anal plate with 3 or 4 apical setae, without a subdiscal seta; with 3 subapical setae on each plate; anal fold with 4 fringe setae; with tibio-tarsal sclerosis; antennae 6-, 7-, or 8-segmented; multilocular pores normally with 5 loculi; multiloculars restricted to vulvar area; preopercular pores present in cluster near anal plates.

Comparison

Kilifia acuminata is similar to both K. americana and K. deltoides by having hind 2 pairs of legs conspicuously larger than front legs; hind 2 pairs of coxae with unusual cavity laterodistally; anal plates with anterolateral margin longer than posterolateral margin; anal plates in middle of abdomen; without tubular ducts. Kilifia acuminata differs from K. americana by having anterolateral margin of anal plate less than 2 times as long as posterolateral margin (more than 2 times as long in K. americana). Kilifia americana differs from K. deltoides by lacking a distinct spur-like process between the tibia and tarsus of the hind and middle legs or the process with a broadly rounded apex (present in K. deltoides and with an acute apex).

U.S. quarantine notes

This species was intercepted 54 times on a variety of hosts at U. S. ports-of-entry between 1995 and 2012, with specimens originating from Australia, Colombia, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Dominica, Egypt, Fiji, French Polynesia, India, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Tahiti, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.We also have examined specimens taken in quarantine from Argentina (unknown host); Bahamas (Gardenia); Barbados (Cinnamomum, Laurus); Brazil (unknown host); The British Virgin Islands (Coriandrum); Cayman Islands (fern); Colombia (Anthurium, Gardenia, Gerbera); Cook Islands (Alyxia); Costa Rica (Gardenia); Cuba (Gardenia); Dominican Republic (Ixora); Guatemala (Chamaedorea, Cinchona, Gardenia, Philodendron); Haiti (Clusia); Hawaii (Cocos, Gardenia); Honduras (Eugenia, Gardenia); Jamaica (Anthurium, Pimenta); Mexico (Camellia, Dieffenbachia, Gardenia, Ixora, Jasminum, Mangifera, Musa, Persea); Panama (Gardenia, Eugenia, Syzygium); Puerto Rico (Cinchona, Gardenia); Rarotonga (Alyxia); Samoa (Alyxia); Tahiti (Chrysanthemum, Hevea); Thailand (orchid); Trinidad (unknown host); Venezuela (Gardenia). ScaleNet includes hosts in over 30 plant families from all zoogeographic regions. No other species of Kilifia other than K. acuminata, K. americana Ben-Dov and K. deltoides De Lotto have been taken at a U. S. port-of-entry.

Important references

BenDov1979; DeLott1965a; HamonWi1984; Hodgso1994a; WilliaWa1990.

Scalenet catalog and citation list

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