Ctenochiton paraviridis Henderson & Hodgson
In this section
-
Factsheets
- Aphenochiton inconspicuus
- Aphenochiton kamahi
- Aphenochiton pronus
- Aphenochiton pubens
- Aphenochiton subtilis
- Ceroplastes destructor
- Ceroplastes sinensis
- Coccus hesperidum
- Coccus longulus
- Crystallotesta fagi
- Crystallotesta leptospermi
- Crystallotesta neofagi
- Crystallotesta ornata
- Crystallotesta ornatella
- Ctenochiton chelyon
- Ctenochiton paraviridis
- Ctenochiton toru
- Ctenochiton viridis
- Epelidochiton piperis
- Inglisia patella
- Kalasiris depressa
- Kalasiris perforata
- Lecanochiton actites
- Lecanochiton metrosideri
- Lecanochiton scutellaris
- Parasaissetia nigra
- Parthenolacanium corni
- Plumichiton diadema
- Plumichiton elaeocarpi
- Plumichiton flavus
- Plumichiton nikau
- Plumichiton pollicinus
- Poropeza dacrydii
- Pounamococcus cuneatus
- Pulvinaria hydrangeae
- Pulvinaria mesembryanthemi
- Pulvinaria vitis
- Saissetia coffeae
- Saissetia oleae
- Umbonichiton adelus
- Umbonichiton bullatus
- Umbonichiton hymenantherae
- Umbonichiton pellaspis
The species name para = near, with viridis = green, means near to the original sixpenny scale Ctenochiton viridis described by William Maskell in 1879.
This scale is closely related to the three other species of Ctenochiton, the sixpenny scales.
Biology: Has one generation per year and overwinters as small 2nd-instar females and males. As soon as spring growth starts on the host trees, the female scales move off the old leaves onto the new shoots and take advantage of the rising sap to speed up their development to adult. The males stop feeding and stay behind on old leaves; they lose their mouthparts as they moult and go through a metamorphosis to emerge as tiny winged insects quite unlike the female scales. The adult males live for only a few days, long enough to mate with females.
Spotted sixpenny scale is susceptible to attack by 3 fungal pathogens and several hymenopterous parasitoids.
Leaf deformation or "bumps"
This very distinctive effect is caused by female spotted sixpeny scales, and is especially seen on leaves of pigeonwood, Hedycarya arborea.
In the photo, the right-hand leaf has "bumps" on the upper surface. These are caused by the female scales [in the left-hand leaf], which form depressions or hollows on the undersurface. The leaf is permanently deformed and these "bumps" and hollows remain after the scales have died and fallen off.
Found on the undersides of leaves of:
Alepis flavida | yellow mistletoe |
Corynocarpus laevigatus | karaka |
Dodonaea viscosa | akeake |
Griselinia littoralis | kāpuka / broadleaf |
Griselinia lucida | puka / broadleaf |
Hedycarya arborea | porokaiwhiri / pigeonwood |
Hoheria sp | lacebark |
Laurelia novae-zelandiae | pukatea |
Myrsine autralis | māpou / red matipou |
Myrsine salicina | toro |
Pennantia corymbosa | kaikōmako |
Peraxilla colensoi | mistletoe |
Pseudopanax arboreus | five-finger |
Pseudowintera axillaris | horopito |
Pseudowintera colorata | horopito / pepper tree |
Schefflera digitata | patē |