Asterodiaspis Signoret

Genus ASTERODIASPIS Signoret Asterodiaspis Signoret, 1877: ccix. Type species: Aonidia ilicicola Targioni Tozzetti (= Asterodiaspis ilicicola (Targioni Tozzetti)) by subsequent designation by Russell (1941: 109). Diagnostic characters of the adult female: Slide-mounted, body with relatively large 8-shaped pores distributed in a single marginal row, terminating at about one pore’s length anterior to base of each apical seta; 8-shaped pores absent from venter. Anal opening ventral, with margin sclerotized, normally bearing 2 setae; sclerotized anal bar or plate absent. Submedian dorsal tubes absent from near apex of abdomen. Comments: Worldwide, 26 species are included in Asterodiaspis (García Morales et al. 2016); three species are known from Iran (Moghaddam 2013). Key to species of Asterodiaspis in Iran, based on slide-mounted adult females. 1(0) Dorsal 8-shaped pores present................................................................ bella (Russell) - Dorsal 8-shaped pores absent............................................................................ 2 2(1) Ventral multilocular disc-pores in 3 rows, numbering 6–8 (very rarely up to 13)....................... minor (Russell) - Ventral multilocular disc-pores in 4 rows, numbering at least 23................................ quercicola (Bouché)