Peppercorn scale
Kingdom: Animalia Common name: Peppercorn scale
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Genus: Epelidochiton
Species: Epelidochiton
Scientific name: Epelidochiton piperis
Epelidochiton piperis William Maskell named this species piperis in 1882, after the plant Macropiper or pepper tree. Peppercorn scale females develop a sclerotised patch in each plate area grows until the patches cover the whole area This is quite different from all the other native soft scales and so it has its own genus, Epelidochiton, the name meaning "freckled skin". They seems to have more than one generation per year in warmer parts of New Zealand, and it has not been found south of the Nelson area. Females and males develop on the same leaves. The tiny winged adult males live for only a few days, long enough to mate with females. Unlike most other native soft scales, it is able to withstand urban environments.
Found on the leaves of: the following natives
Alectryon excelsus titoki
Aristotelia serrata makomako / wineberry
Coprosma robusta karamu
Corynocarpus laevigatus karaka
Dysoxylum spectabile kohekohe
Hedycarya arborea porokaiwhiri / pigeonwood
Laurelia novae-zelandiae pukatea
Macropiper excelsum kawakawa
Metrosideros sp. rata
Pittosporum eugenioides tarata / lemonwood Vitex lucens puriri
Listen to video of researcher Rosa Henderson from Landcare Research NZ Ltd introducing the tiny scale insects and talks about their role in the ecosystem. http://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Hidden-Taonga/Sci-Media/Video/Scale-insects
A mature female Peppercorn scale on Kawakawa leaf
Enlarged photo of a Peppercorn scale on the underside of a Kawakawa leaf
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