Center for Systematic Entomology

A new invasive Lepidosaphes armored scale (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae) for Florida: first records, natural enemies, and an identification key

HemipteraCoccomorphaDiaspididae

  • Erin C. Powell

    Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, P.O. Box 147100; Gainesville, FL 32614-7100, USA

    ORCID 0000-0002-2483-1883

  • Mark Zenoble

    Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, P.O. Box 147100; Gainesville, FL 32614-7100, USA

  • Douglass R. Miller

    Florida State Collection of Arthropods, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, P.O. Box 147100; Gainesville, FL 32614-7100, USA

    ORCID 0000-0003-4909-8654

  • Benjamin B. Normark

    Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    ORCID 0000-0002-6267-9552

  • Gregory A. Evans

    Animal and Plant Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine, USDA, Rm. 328, Bldg. 003, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA

    ORCID 0000-0002-2165-3292
ZooBank
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1F9EE396-B0B9-4FF6-BC12-D8477154546B
Keywords
Coccoidea, Sternorrhyncha, invasive species, interception, host record, mussel scale

Abstract

The invasive armored scale, Lepidosaphes laterochitinosa Green 1925 (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae), was found in the Florida landscape for the first time in November 2022 and is now known from two south Florida counties: Broward and Miami-Dade. In Florida thus far, this polyphagous specie has been found on Epipremnum pinnatum (L.) Engl. (Araceae), Dracaena Vand. ex. L. (Asparagaceae), and Breynia disticha J.R.Forst. and G.Forst. (Phyllanthaceae), all common landscape ornamentals. New parasitoid host records are provided for Encarsia lounsburyi (Berlese and Paoli), Encarsia citrina (Craw), and Aphytis lingnanensis Compere (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) that emerged from L. laterochitinosa in Broward County, Florida, USA. A key to slide-mounted adult females of the 12 species of Lepidosaphes Shimer present or commonly intercepted in Florida is provided, together with an illustration of each species, and plant host records for these species from the Florida State Collection of Arthropods.

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