Stellate scale, Vinsonia stellifera (Westwood) Coccoidea: Coccidae
Greg Hodges, hodgesg@doacs.state.fl.us, Taxonomic Entomologist, Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry
INTRODUCTION: The stellate scale was eradicated from Florida in 1954. Division of Plant Industry inspectors Jo Ann Pate and Leonard Coleman collected this re-emerging pest species on July 16, 2002 in Miami Lakes, Dade County from Ixora sp. Since the initial collection, further specimens have been found in Hialeah, Miami, and Miami Lakes. Identified samples have been seen on the following host plants: Ixora coccinea, Ixora sp., Schefflera actinophylla, and S. arboricola.
DESCRIPTION: The adult females and immature stages are covered with a semi-transparent to white wax (Fig. 1). The shape of the body is star-shaped with the center of the body being strongly convex. The size of the adult female varies from 3-5 mm across the rays (Fig. 2). The color of the living insect is pink to purplish-red. Crawlers are light green to yellow in color. Life history information is poorly known.
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 Fig. 2. Adult female of stellate scale. (Photography credit: DPI) |
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE: This insect is considered a potential threat to Florida because of its occurrence on citrus, mango and many ornamentals.
HOSTS: Anacardiaceae: Mangifera indica; Apocynaceae: Alstonia scholaris, Ervatamia orientalis, Plumeria acutifolia; Araliaceae: Meryta macrophylla, Schefflera actinophylla, Schefflera arbicola; Aspleniaceae: Asplenium; Celastraceae: Lophopetalum; Ebenaceae: Diospyros discolor; Euphorbiaceae: Bischofia javanica; Guttiferae:Garcinia mangostana, G. myrtifolia, G. spicata, G. subelliptica; Lauraceae: Cinnamomum camphora, Persea Americana; Leguminosae: Palaquium formosanum; Liliaceae: Asparagus sprengeri; Moreaceae: Artocarpus integra, Ficus antimesma, F. benghalensis; Musaceae: Musa; Myrsinaceae: Ardisia polycephela; Myrtaceae: Eucalyptus, Eugenia aquea, E. corynocarpa, E. jamobalana, E. jambos, E. malaccensis, Syzygium cumini; Orchidaceae: Broughtonia sanguinea, Cattleya, Cyripedium niveum, Epidendrum ciliare, Stanhopea; Palmae: Cocos rucifera, Nypa; Polypodiaceae: Adiantum; Rubiaceae: Gardenia caimito Ixora; Sapotaceae: Lucuma caimito; Stilaginaceae: Antidesmia bunius; Strelitziaceae: Ravenala madagascariensis; Zingiberaceae: Aplinia purpurata.
DISTRIBUTION: The stellate scale has been recorded from several regions--Australasian: Australia, Fiji, Ponape Island, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Soloman Islands, Tonga; Afrotropical: Angola, Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Cape Verde, Kenya, Mauritius, Reunion, Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zanzibar; Neartic: Alabama, Florida, Georgia; Oriental: India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam; Paleartic: Netherlands; and Neotropical: Brazil, Barbados, Cuba, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Virgin Islands.
REFERENCESBen-Dov, Y. 1993. A systematic catalogue of the soft scale insects of the world. Flora and Fauna handbook No. 9. Sandhill Crane Press., 536pp.
Hamon, A.B. and M.L.Williams. 1984. The Soft Scale Insects of Florida. (Homoptera: Coccoidea: Coccidae). Arthropods of Florida and neighboring land areas. Vol. 11. 194 pp.
Miller, D. et al. 2002. Scalenet, A database for scale insects. http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/scalenet/scalenet.htm
