UPDATE ON WHITEFLIES, SCALES AND MEALYBUGS
NEW TO FLORIDA
Ian Stocks, Taxonomic Entomologist
Division of Plant Industry, Gainesville
Ian Stocks, Division of Plant Industry
Aleurodicus
35 species
Caribbean and Central America
A. cocois
A. pulvinatus (CR- Bahamas)
FLORIDA: dispersus, dugesii, rugioperculatus
highly polyphagous, pestiferous
parasitoids present, variable efficacy (0-100%)
A. rugioperculatus Pest Alert
Ian Stocks, Division of Plant Industry
Aleurodicus rugioperculatus: Aleyrodidae
Rugose spiraling whitefly (AKA gumbo-limbo spiraling whitefly)
submitted samples often just with egg spirals
♀’s may oviposit on a wider host range than is suitable for
development
examine a wider area to see if nymphs or pupae are present
in palms, esp. common along midrib
control and biology research by Dr. C. Mannion, UF-TREC
massive quantities of honeydew, sooty mold and sticky wax
pools, cars, decks and patios
Ian Stocks, Division of Plant Industry
Aleurodicus rugioperculatus: Aleyrodidae
Rugose spiraling whitefly; gumbo-limbo spiraling whitefly
Hosts (DPI Database) ; ~60 species
Acalypha wilkesiana
Adonidia merrillii
Annona sp.
Araucaria heterophylla
Brassica rapa
Bucida buceras
Bursera simaruba
Calophyllum sp.
Calophyllum inophyllum
Catharanthus roseus
Chrysobalanus icaco
Chrysophyllum oliviforme
Coccothrinax sp.
Cocos nucifera
Conocarpus erectus
Cordyline fruticosa
Dictyosperma album
Dypsis lutescens
Dypsis decaryi
Eugenia axillaris
Eugenia uniflora
Eugenia sp.
Ficus carica
Hyophorbe verschaffeltii
Mangifera indica
Manilkara roxburghiana
Manilkara zapota
Musa sp.
Myrcianthes fragrans
Myrica cerifera
Parthenocissus quinquefolia
Persea americana
Phoenix roebelenii
Pinanga coronata
Pithecellobium keyense
Psidium guajava
Quercus virginiana
Rosa sp.
Sabal palmetto
Sagittaria latifolia
Schinus terebinthifolius
Sideroxylon salicifolium
Sideroxylon foetidissimum
Simarouba glauca
Smilax auriculata
Spondias sp.
Spondias purpurea
Spondias mombin
Strelitzia nicolai
Strelitzia reginae
Syzygium cumini
Terminalia catappa
Thespesia populnea
Veitchia arecina
Washingtonia robusta
Wodyetia bifurcata
Zeuxine strateumatica
Distibution
Broward Co.
Indian River Co.
Miami-Dade Co. (75% of
samples)
Monroe Co.
Palm Beach Co.
Polk Co.
Ian Stocks, Division of Plant Industry
Vryburgia trionymoides: Pseudococcidae
described from Kenya in 1961
not recorded again until found in California, now locally established,
common in grow houses
Florida: 2005, 2009- big box retailers in S. Florida
major infestations found in Spring, 2011
Nassau Co., Duval Co. (big box retailers )
risk assessment: unknown, but can kill a succulent if left untreated
very similar to citrus mealybug, co-occur (slight difference in body
color, wax pattern)
look CLOSELY in rosettes and near stem
Photo: Lyle Buss, UF
Photo: Andrew Derksen, DPI
Ian Stocks, Division of Plant Industry
Vryburgia trionymoides
Hosts
Aloe ciliaris
Crassula spp.
Dudleya farinosa
Echeveria sp.
Graptopetalum sp.
Senecio crassissimus
Aloaceae
Crassulaceae
Crassulaceae
Crassulaceae
Crassulaceae
Asteraceae
Distribution
Duval Co.
Lake Co.
Nassau Co.
Palm Beach Co.
Volusia Co.
Ian Stocks, Division of Plant Industry
Phenacoccus multicerarii: Pseudococcidae
described in 2007 from specimens collected in 1949 from Caracas, Venezuala
found in a museum collection, unknown host
not seen again until June, 2011, from multiple hosts at a retail nursery in
Fernandina Beach (Nassau Co.)
trace-back initiated, nursery in Orange County identified and subsequently
verified
recently collected specimens from Port Everglades
Hosts
Aloaceae
Asteraceae
Begoniaceae
Convolvulaceae
Dryopteridaceae
Dryopteridaceae
Ericaceae
Hydrangeaceae
Lamiaceae
Liliaceae
Melastomataceae
Moraceae
Primulaceae
Selaginellaceae
Thelypteridaceae
Aloe vera
Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium
Begonia sp.
Ipomoea batatas
Cyrtomium falcatum
Polystichum sp.
Rhododendron sp.
Hydrangea sp.
Plectranthus scutellarioides
Hosta sp.
Medinilla magnifica
Ficus pumila
Lysimachia nummularia
Selaginella uncinata
Thelypteris sp.
Photo: Lisa Hassell, DPI
Ian Stocks, Division of Plant Industry
Phenacoccus multicerarii
Photo: Lisa Hassell, DPI
Photo: Lisa Hassell, DPI
Photo: Ian Stocks, DPI
Photo: Ian Stocks, DPI
3.5 to 4 mm long
pale yellow- grey
light dusting of powdery wax
lateral filaments (wax protrusions along flank)
ovisac (cottony mass with eggs/ crawlers)
very similar to P. madeirensis, the madeira mealybug and P. solani
complex (solani, solenopsis)
worldwide, many Phenacoccus are very destructive
not shy- very visible on plant
Ian Stocks, Division of Plant Industry
Planococcus minor: Pseudococcidae.
Passionvine mealybug
Old-world species, now found almost world-wide
present in Caribbean, S. America and C. America since 1980’s
severe pest of many plant species: USDA watch-list
“Positively” identified in Florida in 2010
found again in June 2011 at a nursery in Palm Beach County
impossible to distinguish between P. citri and P. minor in the field
will it be a pest? how widely distributed?
will P. citri parasitoids/predators find it to be a suitable host?
http://www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/pest_alerts/pdf/planococcusminor.pdf
Ian Stocks, Division of Plant Industry
Passionvine mealybug
ovisac
lateral
filaments
multiple-stage
aggregations
Ian Stocks, Division of Plant Industry
Phalacrococcus howertoni (Coccidae)
croton scale 2010
2008
http://www.freshfromflorida.com/
pi/enpp/ento/coccoidea_coccidae.
html
Hodges and Hodgson, 2010. Florida
Entomologist
Ian Stocks, Division of Plant Industry
Current distribution
Brevard Co.
Broward Co.
Charlotte Co.
Collier Co.
Duval Co.
Hernando Co.
Highlands Co.
Hillsborough Co.
Indian River Co.
Lee Co.
Manatee Co.
Marion Co.
Martin Co.
Monroe Co.
Nassau Co.
Okaloosa Co.
Orange Co.
Osceola Co.
Palm Beach Co.
Pasco Co.
Pinellas Co.
Polk Co.
Putnam Co.
Saint Lucie Co.
Sarasota Co.
Seminole Co.
Suwannee Co.
Phalacrococcus howertoni
croton scale
Miami-Dade Co.-57% of samples
Codiaeum variegatum-59% of samples
Bursera simaruba-7% of samples
88 plant species
recently found in carribean
pest of limited distributionquarantined when in nurseries
updated Pest Alert to be released soon
Ian Stocks, Division of Plant Industry