Genus Epidiaspis

Cockerell, 1899

Appearance in life
Scale cover of adult female circular or slightly oval, flat to quite convex, white to grey or brown, with exuviae usually central or subcentral; sometimes almost entirely concealed under the epidermis of the host. Scale cover of immature male different from that of female: small, elongate, felted, white or similar colour to scale of female, faintly to clearly tricarinate, with apical exuviae.

Morphology
Adult female not pupillarial; body turbinate, membranous except for pygidium; lateral lobes of free abdominal segments quite well developed, never with marginal sclerotized spurs. Pygidium broad, rounded to triangular. Median lobes prominent, parallel, separated by a gap, never zygotic; each lobe rounded or notched on either side; a pair of marginal setae present between them. Second lobe reduced to a point or small and bilobed; third lobes reduced to small points or absent. Ventral paraphyses usually present, arising from basal corners of median lobes at least. Gland spines large to small, sometimes with the tip forked or bent and with up to 3 microducts in each gland spine; present on pygidium and sometimes as far forward as abdominal segment II or I; absent from between median lobes. Marginal segmental setae on segments V-VII with very conspicuous basal scleroses in type species, less developed in other species. Anus oval to circular, situated posterior to centre of pygidium; vulva situated near centre of pygidium. Marginal macroducts usually numbering 6 on either side (1 between median and second lobes, 2 associated with the third lobe, 2 on the fifth segment and 1 on a spur on the fourth segment); usually 1 also present between median lobes; each marginal macroduct large, with a sclerotized rim and with the long axis of the orifice perpendicular to the pygidial margin. Dorsal macroducts sometimes present in two sizes: a few large submarginal ducts, as large as marginal ducts, sometimes present on pygidium; however, most dorsal ducts slightly to considerably smaller than marginal ducts, scattered; if submedian ducts present, these never arranged in groups. Submarginal dorsal bosses absent. Ventral duct tubercles absent. Perivulvar pores normally present in 5 groups. Stigmatic disc pores few, 1-3 present by each anterior spiracle. Antenna usually with only 1 seta, curved.

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