The black scale is an important pest of citrus and olive trees. Originally from South Africa, this scale is now distributed worldwide. In Florida, black scale is found on citrus, cultivated olive, avocado, and many popular landscape plants. It is likely that black scale, like many invasive pests, was imported to the United States on infested nursery plants. Based on their small size and the unique life history of scale insects, these insects are difficult to detect and control. This 4-page fact sheet was written by Morgan A. Byron, Jennifer L. Gillett-Kaufman, and Sandra A. Allan, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, March 2015. (Photo credit: Lyle Buss, UF/IFAS)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1082
Tag: Coccoidea (scales)
The mexican lac scale Tachardiella mexicana (Comstock) (Hemiptera: Kerriidae) (EENY552/IN990)
The Mexican lac scale is native to Mexico and Texas, but populations have been established in Florida. Adult female scales produce a high-domed ‘test’ or shell with four to six lobe-like projections that anchor the test to the plant surface. The test is hard and glossy with a reddish-orange tint around the edges, and darker toward the center. In some specimens, white string-like wax fiber extrusions project from the dorsum of the test, but these may break off. This 3-page fact sheet was written by Ian Stocks, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, April 2013.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in990
Florida Wax Scale, Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock (EENY510/IN913)
The Florida wax scale, Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock, is one of the most commonly encountered soft scales throughout the the southern United States, where it is a serious pest of citrus and several ornamental and landscape plants, like holly.This 4-page fact sheet was written by Shweta Sharma and Eileen Buss, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, December 2011.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in913
EENY450/IN822 Black thread scale, Ischnaspis longirostris (Signoret) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Diaspididae)
EENY-450, a 4-page illustrated fact sheet by Adriana Espinosa, Amanda Hodges, Greg Hodges and Catharine Mannion, is part of the Featured Creatures collection. It describes this one of the most serious armored scale pests worldwide, attacking over 50 families of host plants — its distribution, field characteristics, life cycle, hosts, plant damage and economic importance, and managementIncludes references. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, June 2009.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN822