Habitats

Native soft scales

Some native species are "host specific", meaning they can live only on particular plants, for example, the button scales [Lecanochiton species] are only found on pōhutukawa and rātā. Other native soft scales can be found on several different plants, but usually in just one habitat.

Beech (Nothofagus)

Two different soft scale insects are found on Nothofagus species in beech forest:

Conical beech scale Crystallotesta fagi (Maskell)
Glassy beech scale Crystallotesta neofagi Henderson & Hodgson

Conical beech scale [Crystallotesta fagi] (Maskell) Image — Conical beech scale Crystallotesta fagi (Maskell)

[Crystallotesta fagi]. L: a young female fills her clear waxy test and her greenish colour shows through. R: an old female her body shrunk to the anterior end of her white glassy wax test [lower end in picture] after producing all her crawlers. Image — Crystallotesta fagi. L: a young female fills her clear waxy test and her greenish colour shows through. R: an old female her body shrunk to the anterior end of her white glassy wax test lower end in picture after producing all her crawlers.

Glassy beech scale [Crystallotesta neofagi] Henderson & Hodgson Image — Glassy beech scale Crystallotesta neofagi Henderson & Hodgson

Kānuka and Mānuka

Kānuka [Kunzea ericoides] and Mānuka [Leptospermum scoparium]

There are four different soft scale insects found in this habitat:

Glassy mānuka scale Crystallotesta leptospermi (Maskell)
Small ornate scale Crystallotesta ornatella Henderson & Hodgson
Thumbnail scale Plumichiton pollicinus Henderson & Hodgson
Knobbly scale Umbonichiton bullatus Henderson & Hodgson

[Crystallotesta leptospermi]. L: young adult female, her colour pattern mimics the leaf bud scales of the host plant kanuka. R: old female, her body has shrunk to a small dark lump at the head [head facing down the twig] after producing her young. Image — Crystallotesta leptospermi. L: young adult female, her colour pattern mimics the leaf bud scales of the host plant kanuka. R: old female, her body has shrunk to a small dark lump at the head head facing down the twig after producing her young.

[Crystallotesta ornatella] L: young female; R: old female Image — Crystallotesta ornatella L: young female; R: old female

[Plumichiton pollicinus]. L: young adult female, the upper middle part is of curled white wax layers, the flatter sides show her body colour through transparent wax plates. R: mature female. Females always have their head-ends facing down the twig. Image — Plumichiton pollicinus. L: young adult female, the upper middle part is of curled white wax layers, the flatter sides show her body colour through transparent wax plates. R: mature female. Females always have their head-ends facing down the twig.

[Umbonichiton bullatus]. Young adult female. Image — Umbonichiton bullatus. Young adult female.

Lowland

Mixed broadleaf forest types, other than podocarps and kānuka.

There are 17 different soft scale insects found in mixed broadleaf forest:

Translucent scale Aphenochiton pubens Henderson & Hodgson
Filmy scale Aphenochiton subtilis Henderson & Hodgson
Ornate scale Crystallotesta ornata (Maskell)
Turtleshell scale Ctenochiton chelyon Henderson & Hodgson
Spotted sixpenny scale Ctenochiton paraviridis Henderson & Hodgson
Toronia scale Ctenochiton toru Henderson & Hodgson
Sixpenny scale Ctenochiton viridis Maskell
Peppercorn scale Epelidochiton piperis (Maskell)
Limpet scale Inglisia patella Maskell
Glassy coprosma scale Kalasiris depressa (Maskell)
Fringed scale Kalasiris perforata (Maskell)
Golden plumed scale Plumichiton flavus (Maskell)
Black plumed scale Plumichiton elaeocarpi (Maskell)
Rough scale Umbonichiton hymenantherae (Maskell)

[Aphenochiton pubens] - adult female. Image — Aphenochiton pubens - adult female.

[Aphenochiton subtilis]. Adult female. The rows of waxy plates covering the insect body show up particularly well because this photo was taken with cross-lighting. Image — Aphenochiton subtilis. Adult female. The rows of waxy plates covering the insect body show up particularly well because this photo was taken with cross-lighting.

[Crystallotesta ornata] Image — Crystallotesta ornata

[Ctenochiton chelyon]. Two adult females together and several of their crawlers (young scales) walking around them. Image — Ctenochiton chelyon. Two adult females together and several of their crawlers (young scales) walking around them.

[Ctenochiton paraviridis]. L: a young adult female. R: a mature female with several new crawlers nearby on the leaf. Image — Ctenochiton paraviridis. L: a young adult female. R: a mature female with several new crawlers nearby on the leaf.

[Ctenochiton toru]. A mature female. She has caused the leaf to curl on its edge. Image — Ctenochiton toru. A mature female. She has caused the leaf to curl on its edge.

[Ctenochiton viridis]. A mature female with a new crawler walking away on the leaf. Image — Ctenochiton viridis. A mature female with a new crawler walking away on the leaf.

[Epelidochiton piperis]. L: Four young adult females (various yellow - green - greyish-brown colours). R: a mature female (dark greyand the smaller white scale is an empty male test (cover) the adult male has already emerged. Image — Epelidochiton piperis. L: Four young adult females (various yellow - green - greyish-brown colours). R: a mature female (dark greyand the smaller white scale is an empty male test (cover) the adult male has already emerged.

[Inglisia patella]. Young adult female. Image — Inglisia patella. Young adult female.

[Kalasiris depressa]. L: young adult female. R: mature adult female. Her body (greenish colour) has shrunk into the front half of her waxy test. Image — Kalasiris depressa. L: young adult female. R: mature adult female. Her body (greenish colour) has shrunk into the front half of her waxy test.

[Kalasiris perforata]. L: young adult female. R: adult female secreting new wax on the pattern lines of her test. Image — Kalasiris perforata. L: young adult female. R: adult female secreting new wax on the pattern lines of her test.

[Plumichiton flavus]. Adult female. Image — Plumichiton flavus. Adult female.

[Plumichiton elaeocarpi]. L: young adult female. R: mature adult female. She has a hardened black skin and only the remains of a wax test: a little on the top and a worn down marginal fringe. Image — Plumichiton elaeocarpi. L: young adult female. R: mature adult female. She has a hardened black skin and only the remains of a wax test: a little on the top and a worn down marginal fringe.

[Umbonichiton hymenantherae]. Young adult female. Image — Umbonichiton hymenantherae. Young adult female.

Kamahi, nīkau and ferns

Transparent kamahi scale Aphenochiton kamahi Henderson & Hodgson
Glassy nīkau scale Plumichiton nikau Henderson& Hodgson
Glassy fern scale Pounamococcus cuneatus Henderson & Hodgson

[Aphenochiton kamahi] - adult female. The yellow part in the middle is her unborn crawlers, the small orange-brown spot her anal plates (where she gets rid of honeydew); the outer part is nearly transparent. Image — Aphenochiton kamahi - adult female. The yellow part in the middle is her unborn crawlers, the small orange-brown spot her anal plates (where she gets rid of honeydew); the outer part is nearly transparent.

[Plumichiton nikau]. An adult female. She is convex with a thick glassy wax test. Image — Plumichiton nikau. An adult female. She is convex with a thick glassy wax test.

[Pounamococcus cuneatus]. L: young adult female. R: mature adult female. Image — Pounamococcus cuneatus. L: young adult female. R: mature adult female.

Mountain

Shrubs and herbs that can sometimes be covered by snow in winter and only one soft scale insects is found here:

Crown scale Plumichiton diadema Henderson & Hodgson

[Plumichiton diadema]. L: a young adult female; R: an empty male test. The wax coverings are thick, as these scales need extra protection for winter, when they can be covered in snow at times. Image — Plumichiton diadema. L: a young adult female; R: an empty male test. The wax coverings are thick, as these scales need extra protection for winter, when they can be covered in snow at times.

Near seashore

Sometimes inland But always found on Pōhutukawa and rātā [Metrosideros species]

three button scales are found here:

Pōhutukawa button scale Lecanochiton actites Henderson & Hodgson
Rātā button scale Lecanochiton metrosideri Maskell
Small button scale Lecanochiton scutellaris Henderson & Hodgson

[Lecanochiton actites]. Young adult female. Image — Lecanochiton actites. Young adult female.

[Lecanochiton metrosideri] - young adult female. Image — Lecanochiton metrosideri - young adult female.

[Lecanochiton scutellaris] - adult female (dark brown) and a new born crawler (yellow).. Image — Lecanochiton scutellaris - adult female (dark brown) and a new born crawler (yellow)..

Podocarps

Four different soft scale insects are found on podocarps, mainly rimu and tōtara:

Ornate scale Crystallotesta ornata (Maskell)
Rimu scale Poropeza dacrydii (Maskell)
Obscure tōtara scale Umbonichiton adelus Henderson & Hodgson
Snakeskin scale Umbonichiton pellaspis Henderson & Hodgson

[Crystallotesta ornata]. L: a young adult female. R: a mature female; both are facing down the twig. Image — Crystallotesta ornata. L: a young adult female. R: a mature female; both are facing down the twig.

[Poropeza dacrydii]. L: 3rd-instar female (yellow) and young adult female (reddish colour), on the underside of bark taken from a totara tree. R: mature female with a crawler (orangey colour) walking over her. Image — Poropeza dacrydii. L: 3rd-instar female (yellow) and young adult female (reddish colour), on the underside of bark taken from a totara tree. R: mature female with a crawler (orangey colour) walking over her.

[Umbonichiton adelus]. Young adult female. Image — Umbonichiton adelus. Young adult female.

Shrublands

Two soft scale insects are found in shrubland, mainly Coprosma or Hebe:

Inconspicuous scale Aphenochiton inconspicuus (Maskell)

Prostrate scale Aphenochiton pronus Henderson & Hodgson

[Aphenochiton inconspicuus] - two adult females on a stem of a [Coprosma] sp. at Birdlings Flat, near Christchurch. Image — Aphenochiton inconspicuus - two adult females on a stem of a Coprosma sp. at Birdlings Flat, near Christchurch.

[Aphenochiton pronus}. Adult females (greenish-yellow) and an empty male test (cover), on [Hebe pauciramosa] leaves. Image — Aphenochiton pronus}. Adult females (greenish-yellow) and an empty male test (cover), on [Hebe pauciramosa leaves.

Exotic soft scales

Some of the exotic species have very wide host plant ranges (they are polyphagous). In areas disturbed by human activity, e.g., bush margins, they can even be found on some native plants, and two of them, soft brown scale and hemispherical scale, have spread a little bit further into native forest.