Asterolecaniidae is a family of scale insect

Scale insect

The scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, generally classified as the superfamily Coccoidea. There are about 8,000 species of scale insects.-Ecology:...

s commonly known as pit scales or asterolecaniids. They typically cause a depression in the host

Host (biology)

In biology, a host is an organism that harbors a parasite, or a mutual or commensal symbiont, typically providing nourishment and shelter. In botany, a host plant is one that supplies food resources and substrate for certain insects or other fauna...

 plant's tissues and often cause distortion of the shoots. They are found on a range of hosts but are especially common on oak

Oak

An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...

s, bamboo

Bamboo

Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....

s and a number of ornamental plant

Ornamental plant

Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...

s. Members of this family occur in most regions of the world but are most abundant in the northern hemisphere. There are about 27 genera

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 and 243 recorded species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

.

Life cycle

Pit scales in this family have three female instar

Instar

An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt , until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form. Differences between instars can often be seen in altered body proportions, colors, patterns, or...

s and five male instars. They are generally found on the leaves or shoots of the host plant and often cause deformation. The body is usually covered by a clear or transparent test

Test (biology)

A test is a term used to refer to the shell of sea urchins, and also the shell of certain microorganisms, such as testate foraminifera and testate amoebae....

. Eggs

Egg (biology)

An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...

 are laid under the this and occupy the cavity formed as the adult female dies and shrinks in the autumn. Males are not usually found but when they do occur, they develop under a test in a similar fashion to the females.

Genera

• Abditicoccus
• Acanthococcus
• Amorphococcus
• Asterodiaspis
• Asterolecanium
• Bambusaspis
• Callacoccus
• Elegatis
• Endernia
• Eremococcus
• Frenchia
• Grammococcus
• Hsuia
• Hyalococcus
• Liuaspis
• Mycetococcus
• Mycococcus
• Neoasterodiaspis
• Oacoccus
• Palmaspis
• Pauroaspis
• Planchonia
• Polea
• Pollinia
• Russellaspis
• Sclerosococcus
• Trachycoccus