The Diaspididae, like all Coccoidea (Hemiptera), feed on plants and may at times become pests. Nine species are important pests of citrus in the Mediterranean Region. They consist of Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell), Aspidiotus nerii Bouche, Chrysomphalus aonidum (Linnaeus), C. dictyospermi (Morgan), Lepidosaphes beckii (Newman), L. gloverii (Packard), Parlatoria cinerea Hadden, P. pergandii Comstock, and P. ziziphi (Lucas). Field and microscopic keys for these pests are provided, along with diagnostic characters, life history details, economic importance data and management methods for each species.
Keywords: Citriculture, Mediterranean Region, armored scale insects, bio-ecology, damage, control
