Plumichiton elaeocarpi (Maskell)
Plumichiton elaeocarpi. Left: young adult female. Right: mature adult female. She has a hardened black skin and only the remains of a wax test: a little on the top and a worn down marginal fringe.
Black plumed scale
William Maskell named this species in 1885, for one of its host plants, Elaeocarpus.
Biology: Probably one generation per year, with a long period of adulthood and an extended crawler production period (a few at a time).
Found on the stems and leaves of:
| Beilschmiedia tawa | tawa |
| Coprosma sp. | |
| Elaeocarpus dentatus | hīnau |
| Hedycarya arborea | porokaiwhiri / pigeonwood |
| Ileostylus micranthus | mistletoe |
| Litsea calicaris | mangeao |
| Weinmannia racemosa | kāmahi |
| Weinmannia silvicola | tōwhai |