Doubling the known endemic species diversity of New Caledonian armored scale insects (Hemiptera, Diaspididae)

Abstract

Fourteen species of armored scale insects are known only from New Caledonia. Here, the adult female of fourteen more are described: Agrophaspis ansevatae sp. n., Aonidia montikoghis sp. n., Aonidia pauca sp. n., Fernaldanna whita sp. n., Furcaspis costulariae sp. n., Greeniella casuarinae sp. n., Greeniella dacrydiae sp. n., Lepidosaphes monticola sp. n., Leptaspis pege gen. et sp. n., Leucaspis montikoghis sp. n., Melanaspis nothofagi sp. n., Neomorgania nothofagi sp. n., Pseudaonidia dugdali sp. n., and Pseudaonidia yateensis sp. n. We note that the diversity of New Caledonian armored scale insects appears to have resulted more from trans-oceanic dispersal than in situ speciation.