Ian Stocks, Taxonomic Entomologist

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Update on Whiteflies, scales and mealybugsnew to
florida
Ian Stocks, Taxonomic Entomologist Division of
Plant Industry, Gainesville
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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
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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

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Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Aleyrodidae Rugose
spiraling whitefly gumbo-limbo spiraling whitefly
Distibution
Hosts (DPI Database) 60 species
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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 Andrew Derksen, DPI
Photo Lyle Buss, UF
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Vryburgia trionymoides
Hosts
Distribution
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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
Photo Lisa Hassell, DPI
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Phenacoccus multicerarii
Photo Ian Stocks, DPI
Photo Ian Stocks, DPI
Photo Lisa Hassell, DPI
Photo Lisa Hassell, 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

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Planococcus minor Pseudococcidae. Passionvine
mealybug

• Old-world species, now found almost world-wide
• present in Caribbean, S. America and C. America
  since 1980s
• 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
  /planococcus-minor.pdf

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Passionvine mealybug
ovisac
lateral filaments
multiple-stage aggregations
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Phalacrococcus howertoni (Coccidae) croton scale
2010
2008
Hodges and Hodgson, 2010. Florida Entomologist
http//www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/enpp/ento/cocco
idea_coccidae.html
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Current distribution
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 distribution-quarantined when in
  nurseries
• updated Pest Alert to be released soon