A New Invasive Lepidosaphes Armored Scale (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Diaspididae) for Florida: First Records, Natural Enemies, and an Identification Key

Authors

Erin C. Powell, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer ServicesFollow
Mark Zenoble, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer ServicesFollow
Douglass R. Miller, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer ServicesFollow
Benjamin B. Normark, University of Massachusetts, AmherstFollow
Gregory A. Evans, United States Deprtment of Agriculture, APHISFollow

ORCID IDs

Powell https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2483-1883

Miller https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4909-8654

Normark https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6267-9552

Evans https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2165-3292

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

9-27-2024

Citation

Insecta Mundi (September 27, 2024) 1073

Review editor: Muhammad Ahmed

ZooBank registration: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:1F9EE396-B0B9-4FF6-BC12-D8477154546B

Comments

Copyright 2024, the authors. Open access

License: CC BY-NC 3.0

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 species 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.