Two new species of Aulacaspis from Japan, with notes on a strange organ and seasonal variation (Sternorrhyncha: Coccoidea: Diaspididae)

Aulacaspis cupulifera and Aulacaspis cylicophora, n. spp., are described from the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. They are extraordinary in having 'cupulae' on the ventral surface of the mesothoracic region, but in other characters they are very similar to Aulacaspis yabunikkei. The cupulae are supposed to be suckers useful in test construction. A. cupulifera was collected in November on Neolitsea aciculata at two localities in Tokuno-Sima, and A. cylicophora in March on Neolitsea sericea in Okinawa. One of the two samples of A. cupulifera has full-grown and teneral adult females mounted mostly from the same leaves and separated clearly into two successive generations, parental and offspring. The adult females of the offspring or hibernal generation tend to have more numerous dorsal macroducts and perivulvar disc pores, the mean values of the total numbers being significantly different statistically. This phenomenon requires attention on seasonal ecophenotypic variation in comparing characters taxonomically. The adult females of the other sample are considerably grown but still juvenile, and those of A. cylicophora are fully grown; these females probably belong to the hibernal generation, in which the two species may properly be compared.