Asterolecaniidae is a family of

scale insect Scale insects are small insects of the Order (biology), order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient g ...

s commonly known as pit scales or asterolecaniids. They typically cause a depression in the

host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County * Host Island, in the Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctica People * ...

plant's tissues and often cause distortion of the shoots. They are found on a range of hosts but are especially common on

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

s and a number of

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

s. Members of this family occur in most regions of the world but are most abundant in the northern hemisphere.UDSA Agricultural Research Service
There are about 25

genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...

and 243 recorded

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

.Scale Net

Life cycle

Pit scales in this family have three female

instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'' 'form, likeness') is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, which occurs between each moult (''ecdysis'') until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to ...

s and five male instars. They are generally found on the leaves or shoots of the host plant and often cause deformation. The body is usually covered by a clear or transparent

test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film) ...

. Eggs are laid under this and occupy the cavity formed as the adult female dies and shrinks in the autumn. Males are not usually found but when they do occur, they develop under a test in a similar fashion to the females.

Genera

* '' Abditicoccus'' * '' Acanthococcus'' * '' Amorphococcus'' * '' Asterodiaspis'' * '' Asterolecanium'' * '' Bambusaspis'' * '' Elegatis'' * '' Endernia'' * '' Frenchia'' * '' Grammococcus'' * '' Hsuia'' * '' Hyalococcus'' * '' Liuaspis'' * '' Mycetococcus'' * '' Mycococcus'' * '' Neoasterodiaspis'' * '' Oacoccus'' * '' Palmaspis'' * '' Pauroaspis'' * '' Planchonia'' * '' Polea'' * '' Pollinia'' * '' Russellaspis'' * '' Sclerosococcus'' * '' Trachycoccus''

References

Scale insects Hemiptera families Neococcoids {{Coccoidea-stub