Surveys on scale insects in the French Antilles and other Caribbean islands
From 1984 to 2006, surveys on scale insects (Homoptera: Coccidae) were carried out in the French Antilles and other Caribbean islands (Guadeloupe including La Désirade, Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Martin, Martinique, Dominica, Dominican Republic). In addition, studies were also made on collections of scale insects which had been gathered in the past. 1300 samples were collected from cultivated and wild plants. As a result, 140 scale species belonging to 8 families were recorded. Ten species are reported for the first time from the Caribbean or the neotropical region: Asterolecanium arabidis, Bambusaspis bambusicola, Bambusaspis mimica, Dysmicoccus debregeasiae, Icerya seychellarum seychellarum, Nipaecoccus guazumae, Rhizoecus amorphophalli, Rhizoecus variabilis, Spilococcus mamillariae, and Umbaspis regularis. These studies also provided new data on the following scale species:
- Aulacaspis yasumatsui (EPPO Alert List)
It is reported for the first time on Cycas species in Guadeloupe (Cycas revoluta, C. circinalis) and in Martinique. A. yasumatsui is considered as a very serious threat to Cycas in the French Antilles and studies are being made on the possible introduction of biological control agents: Coccobius fulvus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) and Cybocephalus binotatus (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae).
- Maconellicoccus hirsutus (EPPO A1 List)
The presence of M. hirsutus is reported for the first time on the islands of La Désirade, Marie-Galante, and Saint-Barthélemy. The pest was observed on Hibiscus rosa-sinensis.
- Parasaissetia nigra (EU Annexes)
It was found in Martinique on Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, thus confirming earlier reports.
- Unaspis citri (EPPO A1 List)
It is reported for the first time from Marie-Galante on citrus, and it also occurs in Martinique (the EPPO Secretariat had previously no data about its occurrence on this island).
Sources
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Matile-Ferrero D, Etienne J (2006) Cochenilles des Antilles françaises et de quelques autres îles des Caraïbes (Hemiptera, Coccoidea). Revue française d’Entomologie (NS) 28(4), 161-190.
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