New distribution and host records for white coconut scale, Parlagena bennetti Williams (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

Authors

Takumasa Kondo, Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria (CORPOICA)Follow
Penny Gullan, Australian National University, CanberraFollow
Gillian W. Watson, Plant Pest Diagnostic Center, California Department of Food & AgricultureFollow
Alex Enrique Bustillo Pardey, Programa de Plagas y Enfermedades Cenipalma, ColombiaFollow
Luis Guillermo Montes, Entomología, Programa de Plagas y Enfermedades, CenipalmaFollow

Date of this Version

2015

Citation

Insecta Mundi 0422: 1–6

Comments

Published in 2015 by Center for Systematic Entomology, Inc. P. O. Box 141874 Gainesville, FL 32614-1874 USA http://centerforsystematicentomology.org/. Copyright held by the author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons, Attribution Non-Commercial License

Abstract

The white coconut scale, Parlagena bennetti Williams, 1969 (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) is reported for the first time on New Zealand flax, Phormium tenax J.R. Forst. & G. Forst. (Xanthorrhoeaceae), coconut, Cocos nucifera L., Manila palm, Veitchia merrillii (Becc.) H.E. Moore, oil palm, Elaeis guineensis Jacq. and an oil palm hybrid OxG: E. oleifera x E. guineensis (Arecaceae) in continental Colombia, and on coconut from Venezuela. Previously, P. bennetti was known only on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and San Andres, causing serious damage to coconut, its only known host until now. A brief characterization of P. bennetti and an updated list of 23 species of scale insects of the family Diaspididae reported worldwide on Elaeis spp. is provided.

Se reporta por primera vez la presencia de la escama blanca del cocotero Parlagena bennetti Williams, 1969 (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) sobre lino de Nueva Zelanda, Phormium tenax J.R. Forst. & G. Forst. (Xanthorrhoeaceae), palma de coco Cocos nucifera L., palma Manila Veitchia merrillii (Becc.) H.E. Moore, palma de aceite Elaeis guineensis Jacq. y un hibrido de palma de aceite OxG: E. oleifera x E. guineensis (Arecaceae) en Colombia continental y sobre cocotero en Venezuela. Hasta ahora P. bennetti solo se conocía en la isla de Trinidad y en San Andrés, en el Caribe, causando graves daños al cocotero, el único hospedero conocido hasta ahora. Se provee una breve caracterización de P. bennetti, y un listado actualizado de 23 insectos escama de la familia Diaspididae reportadas sobre Elaeis spp. en el mundo.