Nonadaptive host‐use specificity in tropical armored scale insects

Nonadaptive radiation: Pervasive diet specialization by drift in scale insects?

At least half of metazoan species are herbivorous insects. Why are they so diverse? Most herbivorous insects feed on few plant species, and adaptive host specialization is often invoked to explain their diversification. Nevertheless, it is possible that the narrow host ranges of many herbivorous insects are nonadaptive. Here, we test predictions of this hypothesis with comparative phylogenetic ...

Rapid molecular identification of armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) on Mexican 'Hass' avocado.

'Hass' avocado, Persea americana Mill., fruit imported into California from Mexico are infested with high levels of armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), constituting several species. The paucity and delicate nature of morphological characters traditionally used to diagnose armored scales often require careful preparation of slide-mounted specimens and expert knowledge of the group, f...

A mutualism without honeydew: what benefits for Melissotarsus emeryi ants and armored scale insects (Diaspididae)?

Mutualisms between ants and sap-sucking insects generally involve clear benefits for both partners: the ants provide protection in exchange for honeydew. However, a single ant genus associates with armoured scale insects (Diaspididae) that do not excrete honeydew. We studied three colonies of Melissotarsus emeryi ants from two localities in Mozambique. Vast numbers of the diaspidid Morganella c...

Sexual Selection in Tropical Insects

Scale insects

What are scale insects? Scale insects (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea) are a group of small, plant feeding insects closely related to aphids and whiteflies. They are characterized by their unusual shapes, so much so that it is sometimes hard to recognize them as insects or even as animals! Adult females hardly ever move, lacking wings and often even legs. Instead of being able to run away...