Species Ascelis praemollis Schrader, 1863

Museums

Regional Maps

• Ascelis praemollis Schrader, H.L. 1863. Further communication on the gall-making Coccidae. Transactions of the Entomological Society of New South Wales 1: 6-8 [7].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) ZMHB (Notes: Original photos of Schrader's type gall material are in the ZMHB and the ANIC, according to Weidner in personal communication to Gullan. Illustr.), Australia.

Distribution

States

New South Wales

Ecological Descriptors

Sap-feeder.

GENERAL

An illustration of an adult female is given by Ferris, G.F. 1957. Notes on some little known genera of the Coccoidea (Homoptera). Microentomology 22: 59–79. Detailed description by Froggatt, W.W. 1894. Notes on the family Brachyscelidae, with descriptions of new species, Part II. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 8: 209–214.

SYSTEMATICS

Slide-mounted adult female without legs or antennae; posterior end of body heavily sclerotized, forming a short cylinder in which the sclerotization extends entirely about the body without interruption and has its end invaginated. The external opening of this invagination seems to be closed by a dehiscent sclerotized cap which is connected by 3 internal, heavily sclerotized rods with the internal wall of the cylinder (see Ferris, G.F. 1957. Notes on some little known genera of the Coccoidea (Homoptera). Microentomology 22: 59–79).

STRUCTURE

Female gall is round, green to dull yellow in color and grows singly or in groups of 2–3. First-instar female pale yellow, roundish, eyes small and black. Adult females of varying size, shapelessly round, wrinkled and pale yellow. First-instar males are with the first-instar females in the female gall, about 20-30 per gall and they remain long after the females have gone. First-instar males are pink to salmon red. Adult male is crimson to reddish brown (see Froggatt, W.W. 1894. Notes on the family Brachyscelidae, with descriptions of new species, Part II. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 8: 209–214).

History of changes