The dimensions of generalism: are armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) generalists across multiple axes?

Armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) are ubiquitous and cryptic parasites of plants found throughout the world. Preliminary evidence suggests that tropical forests harbor the highest diversity of armored scale insects, like in most phytophagous insects. However, unlike most phytophagous insects, many diaspidids maintain a notoriously generalist habit. As a result, expectations about endemism and beta diversity derived from studies of other insects may not apply to armored scales. In this study, we surveyed two tropical rainforest canopy sites in Panama, utilizing the canopy cranes in Parque Natural Metropolitano (dry deciduous forest) and Parque Nacional San Lorenzo (wet evergreen forest) in order to test the impact of habitat type on patterns of alpha and beta diversity within a fairly limited geographic area. We address the question as to whether generalism is limited to hosts within specific habitat types or whether it applies across habitat types. We characterize diversity at each site using a combination of morphological and molecular species delimitation methods.