Fossil scale insects (Hemiptera, Coccoidea, Diaspididae) in life position on an angiosperm leaf from an early Miocene lake deposit, Otago, New Zealand

Abstract

The first fossil scale insects to be described from New Zealand are 14 well‐preserved female scale covers, including nine old, mature, adult females, attached to an angiosperm leaf found in Lower Miocene finely laminated lacustrine diatomite at Foulden Hills, Otago. These insects are interpreted as belonging to Family Diaspididae, Subfamily Aspidiotinae, a group that is well‐represented in the modern Australasian fauna. Their attachment in situ on a fossil leaf (possibly from the family Elaeocarpaceae) provides an extremely rare example of a 20‐million‐year‐old plant‐animal association, and demonstrates that before the Early Miocene Aspidiotinae had a neotenic, wingless female, and its modern form of scale cover, with a fully developed, fibrous, waxy scale cover. © 2007 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.