(Cooley, 1898)
Diagnosis
Scale cover of adult female in life elongate 1.0 mm long, with parallel sides, greyish white with yellow terminal exuviae KUWHOL.jpg . Scale cover of male similar to that of female but smaller, with a longitudinal ridge (Dekle, 1976) and terminal exuviae KUWHOL1.jpg .
Body of slide-mounted adult female elongate, membranous; abdominal segment I with a complete row of ventral microducts present across its entire width KUWHOS.jpg . Pygidium with median lobes not zygotic, these lobes well separated with some plates present between them KUWHOP.jpg .
Host range
Kuwanaspis howardi has been recorded from hosts belonging to the plant family Gramineae, on bamboos (Borchsenius, 1966). Hosts include species of: Arundinaria, Bambusa, Phragmites, Phyllostachys praecox, P. dulcis.
Affected plant stages: vegetative growing, flowering and fruiting stages
Affected plant parts: on stem nodes KUWHOL1.jpg , where leaves arise
Biology and ecology
Gang and Jun, 2000 discuss the biology of K. howardi (in Chinese). In China (Zhejiang Province) there are two generations per year, with overwintering as the fertilized adult female. Crawlers are the primary dispersal stage and move to new areas of the plant or are dispersed by wind or animal contact. Mortality due to abiotic factors is high in this stage. Dispersal of sessile adults and eggs occurs through human transport of infested plant material.
Economic impact
Kuwanaspis howardi is a serious pest of bamboo in Republic of Georgia, justifying attempts at control (Gogua, 1975).
Detection and inspection methods
Examine the stems near the nodes for small, elongate, parallel-sided, greyish white scale covers with yellow terminal exuviae.
Natural enemies
The natural enemies of K. howardi have not been studied.
Distribution
See Kuwanaspis howardi distribution.
Microscopic examination of slide-mounted adult females is required for authoritative identification to species.
Kuwanaspis vermiformis (Takahashi) could be misidentified as K. howardi, but differs in having the body 4.5-7.5x as long as wide KUWVERS.jpg; anterior of abdominal segment I with a transverse band of ventral macroducts 1-2 ducts wide and a row of sharp gland tubercles 2-3 tubercles wide immediately posterior to the ducts; and antennae each with 2 long, fairly straight, usually parallel setae. In contrast, K. howardi has the body 2-3.5x as long as wide KUWHOS.jpg; anterior of abdominal segment I with a transverse band of ventral macroducts 2-3 ducts wide and an interrupted row of sharp gland tubercles 1 tubercle wide immediately posterior to the ducts; and antennae each with 2 long, fairly straight, usually divergent setae. Kuwanaspis vermiformis is known from China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangzu), Taiwan, Thailand, Madagascar, USA (Hawaii), Lesser Antilles and ?Colombia on species of bamboo such as Bambusa, Dendrocalamus and Phyllostachys (Ferris, 1941; Ferris, 1942; Takagi, 1970; Nakahara, 1981;Chen et al., 1996; Tao, 1999; Kondo, 2001). It is a major pest of the bamboo Phyllostachys pubescens in China (Fujian) (Chen et al., 1996). Adult female pygidium KUWVERP.jpg
Comments
Kuwanaspis howardi is of eastern Asian origin. It has not been recorded from Africa, Australia, or from most of the Pacific islands.
Europe
Former USSR
Azerbaijan: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Caucasian region of Black Sea: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Crimea: present in the south (Nakahara, 1982)
Georgia, Republic of: present, no further details (Gogua, 1975; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Southern European Territory: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Asia
China
Anhui: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Fujian: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Jiangsu: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Jiangxi: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Yunnan: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Zhejiang: present, no further details (Tao, 1999; Gang and Jun, 2000)
Japan: present, no further details (Kawai, 1980; Tao, 1999)
Korea: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Southern Asia: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Western Hemisphere
USA
District of Colombia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Georgia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Ferris, 1942)
Louisiana: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Ferris, 1942)
Mississippi: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
New Jersey: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Texas: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Oceania
Bonin Is: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)