New pests reports in the Southern USA
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has recently issued several pest alerts
Heliococcus summervillei (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) has recently been reported from the USA. This mealybug is a pest of pasture, turf grass and sugarcane. It was first described in Australia, but its native area is unclear (maybe Pakistan). This pest has recently been introduced in the western hemisphere: in 2019 and 2020 in the Caribbean (Puerto Rico and Barbados), and in Mexico in July 2025. In October 2025, H. summervillei was first reported in the continental USA causing pasture dieback in Texas. It then spread through Texas and was recorded in Louisiana on sugarcane, and in May 2026, in Florida in fields of limpograss (Hemarthria altissima).
Pseudaulacaspis rubra (Hemiptera: Diaspididae): this armoured scale insect of Asian origin, was previously recorded only from India and Sri Lanka. It was detected in 2025 on mature mango trees (Mangifera indica) in Florida. This is the first time that this species is reported in the western hemisphere.
In Texas, a task force was set up in 2025 to mitigate major outbreaks of the rice delphacid, Tagosodes orizicola (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) on rice. The rice hoja blanca virus (Tenuivirus oryzalbae, RHBV), which is transmitted by T. oryzicola, was first detected in the state in 2024.
The following interceptions or incursions were also reported from Florida in 2025:
- Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae – EPPO A1 List): intercepted in imported consignments or found at vegetable wholesalers on tomatillo (Physalis philadelphica) and pepper (Capsicum annuum).
- Bactrocera carambolae (Diptera: Tephritidae – EPPO A1 List): a single male specimen was captured in a trap in 2025 in Florida. Intensive monitoring did not detect further specimens; official measures were lifted in July 2025.
- Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae – EPPO A1 List) A single male specimen was captured in a trap in 2025 in Florida. Intensive monitoring did not detect further specimens; official measures lifted in July 2025.
Sources
Halbert SE (2025) Entomology Section. P.J. Anderson and G.S. Hodges (Editors). TRI-OLOGY 64(2): 11 https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/119457/file/FDACS-P-00124_2025-08-Tri-ology-64-2-April-June-2025.pdf
Khanal S, Zhou XG (2025) First report of hoja blanca viral disease in rice in Texas, USA. Plant Disease 109(12), 2615. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-07-25-1410-PDN
Ledbetter K (2025-09-18) Texas A&M AgriLife tackles rice delphacid devastation. https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2025/09/18/texas-am-agrilife-tackles-rice-delphacid-devastation/
Powell EC (2026) Pasture mealybug, Heliococcus summervillei Brookes (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae), an invasive pest of pasture grass, turf grass, and sugarcane has been detected in Florida, USA. Pest Alert (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry) FDACS-P-02267 https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/120429/file/pasture-mealybug-pest-alert.pdf
Powell EC, Miller DR (2025) Pseudaulacaspis rubra (Maskell), an armored scale insect detected in South Florida. Pest Alert (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry) FDACS-P-02256. https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/120245/file/updated-pseudaulacaspis-rubra-pest-alert.pdf
Powell EC, Campo RJ, Lahey Z, Miller DR (2026) Pseudaulacaspis rubra (Maskell)(Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae), reported for the first time in Florida, United States, with an identification key. Insecta Mundi 1187, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.64338/im.1187.8wzl4