Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Melanaspis odontoglossi (Cockerell, 1893)

Escama, Scale

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Arthropoda

Class
Insecta

Order
Hemiptera

Suborder
Sternorrhyncha

Superfamily
Coccoidea

Family
Diaspididae

Genus
Melanaspis

Species
odontoglossi

Taxon category: Accepted

In Kuwana (1902) as Aspidiotus smilacis (misidentification) fide Roskov et al. (2013)

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 1902

Mode of introduction: Accidental

Introduction Pathway: Contaminant

Subpathway: Contaminant on plants (inc. seeds and plant associated material)

Introduced status: Naturalized

Invasive status: No data

Ecology

Substrate or host preferences: The Galapagos host plants: Alternanthera filifolia (thread - leafed chaff flower), Chusquea sp.,Conocarpus erectus (button mangrove), Croton scouleri var. scouleri (Galapagos croton), Cryptocarpus pyriformis (salt bush), Tricerma octogonum (Maytenus), Scalesia affinis (Radiate-headed scalesia), Waltheria ovata.

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Isabela, Santiago, Santa Cruz

References

  • Kuwana, S.I. (1902) Coccidae from the Galapagos Islands. Journal New York Entomological Society 10: 28-33.
  • Lincango, M.P. Hodgson, C. & Causton, C. (2008) Lista anotada de los insectos escama (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) de las islas Galápagos, Ecuador. Charles Darwin Research Station, unpublished, 17 pp.
  • Lincango, P. Hodgson, C., Causton, C. & Miller, D. (2010) An updated checklist of scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Galapagos Research, 67: 3-7.
  • Peck, S.B. (1996) Origin and development of an insect fauna on a remote archipelago: The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. In: Keast A., Miller S.E. (eds.): The origin and evolution of Pacific Island biotas, New Guinea to eastern Polynesia: patterns and processes. SPB Academic Publishing, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, p. 91-122.
  • Peck, S.B. Heraty, J., Landry, B. & Sinclair, B.J. (1998) Introduced insect fauna of an oceanic archipelago: The Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Am. Entomol. 44: 218-237.
  • Peck, S.B. (2001) Smaller Orders of Insects of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador: Evolution, Ecology, and Diversity. NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 278 pp.
  • Roskov Y. Kunze T., Paglinawan L., Orrell T., Nicolson D., Culham A., Bailly N., Kirk P., Bourgoin T., Baillargeon G., Hernandez F., De Wever A., (eds.) (2013) Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life, 2013 Annual Checklist Digital resource at www.catalogueoflife.org/annual-checklist/2013/. Species 2000: Reading, UK
  • Williams, M.L. (1977) Scale insects of the Galapagos islands In D.R Miller, J.A Davidson, M. Kosztarab (Eds.), Morphology and Systematics of scales insects (Ed.127, Vol. 9, pp. 85-98). Research Division Bulletin, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and State University.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Melanaspis odontoglossi", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=11103. Accessed 31 October 2026.