Archangelskaya, 1930
Taxonomic note
The morphology and appearance of this species varies according to the substrate (leaf and bark forms). Some authors have distinguished between L. pistaciae forma typica on leaves and L. pistaciae forma pistacicola Borchsenius on bark. These are treated as a single species here.
Diagnosis
Scale cover of adult female elongate, up to 2.8 mm long, broadly mussel-shaped; cover of leaf form yellow, cover of bark form brown; with terminal exuviae. Scale cover of male similar to that of the relevant form of female but smaller and narrower, with terminal exuviae (Danzig, 1993).
Body of slide-mounted adult female elongate, more than 1.8x as long as wide, and membranous, with a rounded head; head without obvious lateral tubercles; eye not developed into a spur; lateral marginal spurs present on margins of prepygidial segments I, II, III and IV, each spur not sclerotized, containing the opening of a macroduct LEPISTS.jpg . Pygidium with perivulvar pores present LEPISP1.jpg ; median lobes not yoked, with a pair of gland spines between them, but without any club-shaped basal scleroses; 7 marginal macroducts on each side, and with orifices of submarginal and submedian macroducts each with a sclerotized rim LEPISTMG.jpg . Feeding on Pistacia.
Host range
Lepidosaphes pistaciae has been recorded mainly from hosts belonging to the plant family Pistaceae, genus Pistacia (Borchsenius, 1966). Hosts include species of: Ailanthus, Ceanothus, Malus pumila, Pistacia vera, Pistacia spp., Populus, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus, Pyrus, Rhododendron, Rosa, Salix, Sassafras, Sorbus and Stillingia.
Affected plant stages: vegetative growing, flowering and fruiting stages
Affected plant parts: on trunk and branches all year; spreads to leaf undersides and fruits in summer
Biology and ecology
In the former USSR there are two generations per year and L. pistaciae overwinters as adult females on the bark (Danzig, 1993). 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.
Symptoms
Heavy infestations cause death of branches, premature leaf fall and drying of the fruits of Pistacia (Danzig, 1993).
Economic impact
In Iran, L. pistaciae is injurious to commercial pistacio trees (Davatchi, 1958; Abivardi, 2001). Danzig, 1993, described L. pistaciae as very damaging to Pistacia.
Detection and inspection methods
Examine the trunk and branches at any time of year, also leaves and fruits in summer, for elongate, broadly mussel-shaped scale covers; yellow on leaves, brown on bark; each with terminal exuviae.
Phytosanitary protection
Lepidosaphes pistaciae is mentioned on quarantine lists (Burger and Ulenberg, 1990).
Natural enemies
The natural enemies of L. pistaciae have not been studied.
Distribution
See Lepidosaphes pistaciae distribution.
Microscopic examination of slide-mounted adult females is required for authoritative identification to species.
Lepidosaphes kuwacola Kuwana LEKUWS.jpg could easily be misidentified as L. pistaceae, but differs by having the eyes modified into sharp, sclerotized, anteriorly pointing marginal spurs; 6-7 pores by each anterior spiracle; antennae with 4 setae each; and sclerotized marginal spurs on abdominal segments II-IV, each containing one duct opening. In contrast, L. pistaceae lacks eyes modified into sclerotized spurs, and has 1-2 pores by each anterior spiracle; antennae with 3 setae each; and sclerotized marginal spurs on abdominal segments II-IV, often with several of them containing 2 duct openings each LEPISTS.jpg. Lepidosaphes kuwacola LEKUWL2.jpg is a polyphagous species known from Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku) and China (Sichuan), on species of Caryopteris, Celtis, Cornus, Eleutherococcus, Euonymus, Fraxinus, Ginkgo, Hedera, Kalopanax, Ligustrum, Mallotus, Morus, Osmanthus, Paeonia, Picrasma, Prunus, Pyrus, Salix, Taxus and Ulmus (Takagi, 1960; Kawai, 1980; 1988 data from S. Kawai photograph; Danzig, 1993; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998; Tao, 1999). Colony LEKUWL1.jpg
Comments
Lepidosaphes pistaciae is a subtropical species, originating from Asia. It has not been recorded from Africa, the Western Hemisphere, Australia, or from the Pacific islands.
Europe
Former USSR
Armenia: present, no further details (Danzig, 1993)
Georgia, Republic of: present, no further details (Danzig, 1993)
Kazakhstan: present, no further details (Danzig, 1993; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Kirgizistan: present, no further details (Danzig, 1993)
Middle Asia: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Tadjikistan: present, no further details (Danzig, 1993)
Transcaucasus: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Turkmenistan: present, no further details (Danzig, 1993)
Uzbekistan: present, no further details (Danzig, 1993)
Greece: present, no further details (Mourikis et al., 1997)
Asia
Afghanistan: present, no further details (Danzig, 1993; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
China
Fujian: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Ganasu: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Guangdong: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Hebei: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Heilongjiang: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Henan: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Hubei: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Hunan: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Jilin: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Liaoning: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Ningxia: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Shanxi: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Sichuan: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Xingjiang: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Xizang: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Yunnan: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Zhejiang: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Iran: present, no further details (Seghatoleslami, 1977; Danzig, 1993; Abivardi, 2001)
Iraq: present, no further details (Danzig, 1993; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Japan: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Pakistan: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Syria: present, no further details (Danzig, 1993; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Turkey: present, no further details (Danzig, 1993; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)