Glycaspis Taylor

(Figs 14, 42, 43, 48, 77)

Diagnosis: Genal processes very large, longer than 2/3 vertex length (Fig. 14). Antenna much longer than head width. Forewing (Fig. 48) long, apically angular, veins R and M+Cu1 short; vein Rs very long, reaching wing apex, curve parallel to costal margin. Metatibia (Fig. 43) shorter than femur, enlarged apically, with a lateral protuberance bearing two spurs, and a group of spurs on the opposite side; metabasitarsus enlarged, broad and curved.

Biology and damage: Immatures are found under a shield of wax known as lerp (Bouvet et al. 2005; Diodato & Venturini 2007; Santana & Burckhardt 2007). The damage is more serious than that of Ctenarytaina (Santana & Burckhardt 2007) as the immatures develop on mature leaves. The damage includes growth of sooty mould, leaf discoloration, decrease of growth, foliage loss, shoot dieback and consequent death of the tree (Bouvet et al. 2005; Diodato & Venturini 2007).

Host-plants: Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) (Hollis 2004).

Distribution: Native to Australia introduced into Africa, America, Asia and Europe (Burckhardt & Queiroz 2012; Spodek et al. 2015).— Colombia: Glycaspis brimblecombei (ICA 2013; Rodas et al. 2014).

Examined material: Glycaspis brimblecombei: Cundinamarca: 1 (male) , Bogotá, Univ. Nal. Col., 4°35’53"N, 74°4'33"W, 2630 m, 04-May-2011, Ricinus sp. (C. Flautero), UNAB 1371 . Antioquia: 2 (male, female), Envigado, 6°10'19"N, 75°35'49"W, 1675 m, 29-Dec-2013, on leaves of Eucalyptus sp. (F. Serna), UNAB 1372 .