(Kuwana, 1923)
Diagnosis
In life, scale cover of adult female elongate, 2.5-3.0 mm long, slightly convex, tan or white with yellow or tan terminal exuviae KUWPSL1.jpg . Male scale cover elongate, white, with a longitudinal median ridge and terminal exuviae (Gill, 1997).
Body of slide-mounted adult female elongate, membranous; abdominal segment I submarginal ventral microducts present on each side, but never forming a row across the width of the entire segment KUWPSS.jpg . Pygidium with median lobes not zygotic, these lobes well separated with some plates present between them KUWPSP1.jpg .
Host range
Kuwanaspis pseudoleucaspis has been recorded from bamboos (plant family Gramineae) (Borchsenius, 1966). Hosts include species of: Arundinaria, Bambusa, Phyllostachys pubescens, Sasa, Semiarundinaria and Sinobambusa.
Affected plant stages: vegetative growing, flowering and fruiting stages
Affected plant parts: on the stems, especially under the leaf sheaths and bud scales at the nodes KUWPSL2.jpg
Biology and ecology
Yan et al., 1985, discuss the biology of K. pseudoleucaspis in China (in Chinese). 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 pseudoleucaspis is a major pest of the bamboo Phyllostachys pubescens in China (Anhui, Jiangsu and Zhejiang); Yan et al., 1985, and Luo et al., 1999, discuss the damage caused (in Chinese).
Detection and inspection methods
Examine the stems, especially under the leaf sheaths and bud scales at the nodes, for elongate, slightly convex, tan or white scale covers, each with yellow or tan terminal exuviae.
Natural enemies
Yan et al., 1985, and Li, 1989, discuss the natural enemies of K. pseudoleucaspis in China (in Chinese).
Parasitoids
Some hymenopteran parasitoids attack K. pseudoleucaspis in California KUWPSL3.jpg
Predators:
- Amata pascus, in China (Jiangxi)
Distribution
See Kuwanaspis pseudoleucaspis distribution.
Microscopic examination of slide-mounted adult females is required for authoritative identification to species.
Kuwanaspis hikosani (Kuwana) could be misidentified as K. pseudoleucaspis, but differs in having the body 4.7-6.2x as long as wide KUWHIS.jpg , and the pygidial gland spines present singly KUWHIP.jpg . In contrast, in K. pseudoleucaspis the body is 2.8-4.2x as long as wide KUWPSS.jpg, and the pygidial gland spines occur as a pair on one pygidial segment (IV or V) KUWPSP1.jpg. Kuwanaspis hikosani is known from China (Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Hong Kong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang), Japan (Kiushu) and USA (Georgia, South Carolina, also under glass in New York) on leaf undersides of bamboos such as species of Bambusa, Phyllostachys and Sasa (Tao, 1999; Nakahara, 1982; Kawai, 1980). Adult females in life KUWHIKL1.jpg ; KUWHIKL2.jpg ; habit sketch KUWHIL.jpg
Kuwanaspis neolinearis (Takahashi) KUWNEOL2.jpg could be misidentified as K. pseudoleucaspis, but differs in lacking perivulvar pores KUWNEP.jpg, and in having a single, thick, straight seta on each antenna; the body can be up to 7.1x as long as wide KUWNES.jpg. In contrast, K. pseudoleucaspis has perivulvar pores present KUWPSP1.jpg, and each antenna bears two long, curved and often divergent setae; the body is seldom more than 4.5x as long as wide KUWPSS.jpg. Kuwanaspis neolinearis is known from Taiwan and Singapore on bamboo (Wong et al., 1999; Takagi, 1970). Adult females in life KUWNEOL1.jpg
Comments
Kuwanaspis pseudoleucaspis is of eastern Asian origin. It has not been recorded from Australia, or from the Pacific islands.
In northern countries K. pseudoleucaspis is found only under glass (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998). The species is native to the Oriental region (Longo et al., 1995; Gill, 1997).
Europe
Former USSR:
Azerbaijan: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Crimea: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Georgia, Republic of: on Black sea coast (Nakahara, 1982)
Southern European Territory: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Transcaucasus: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
France: present, no further details (Foldi, 2001; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Italy: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Germany: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Italy: under glass (Longo et al., 1995)
Poland: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
United Kingdom: present under glass (C.P. Malumphy, Central Science Laboratory, UK, pers. comm.)
England: under glass, and naturalized outdoors in South-West England (C.P. Malumphy, Central Science Laboratory, UK, pers. comm.)
Asia
China: present, no further details (Takagi, 1970; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Anhui: present, no further details (Yan et al., 1985)
Jiangsu: present, no further details (Yan et al., 1985)
Jiangxi: present, no further details (Li, 1989)
Yunnan: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Zhejiang: present, no further details (Yan et al., 1985)
Eastern Asia: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Japan: present, no further details (Takagi, 1970; Kawai, 1980)
Korea: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Taiwan: present, no further details (Takagi, 1970; Tao, 1999)
Turkey: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Africa
Algeria: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Morocco: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Western Hemisphere
Bermuda: present (Hodgson and Hilburn, 1991)
Central America: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
USA
Alabama: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
California: restricted distribution, rare (Gill, 1997)
District of Colombia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Florida: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Georgia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Hawaii: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1981)
Maryland: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
New Jersey: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
New York under glass: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
South Carolina: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Virginia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Oceania
New Zealand: present, no further details (Archibald et al., 1979; Charles and Henderson, submitted)