398

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc.

119: 2006.

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc

. 119:398-408. 2006.

A REFEREED PAPER

HOST PLANT RANGE OF LOBATE LAC SCALE,

PARATACHARDINA LOBATA

, IN FLORIDA

F

ORREST

W. H

OWARD

1

*, R

OBERT

W. P

EMBERTON

2

,G

REG

S. H

ODGES

3

, B

RYAN

S

TEINBERG

1

,D

AVID

M

C

L

EAN

4

AND

H

ONG

L

IU

1

1

University of Florida, IFASFort Lauderdale Research and Education Center

3205 College AvenueFort Lauderdale, FL 33314

2

USDA-ARS Invasive Plant Research Laboratory3225 College Avenue

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314

3

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer ServicesDivision of Plant Industry

Florida State Collection of Arthropods1911 SW 34th Street

Gainesville, FL 32608

4

Nova Southeastern University, Health Professions DivisionMedicinal Garden, 3200 South University Drive

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33328

Additional index words. Myrica cerifera

, Coccoidea, Kerriidae,scale insect pests, woody plant pests, native plant pests, orna-mental plant pests, fruit tree pests

Abstract.

A list of host plant species of lobate lac scale,

Parata-chardina lobata

(Chamberlin) (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Kerri-idae), in southern Florida was compiled from the authors’observations and records of the Florida State Collection of Ar-thropods. This scale insect was found on 307 plant species,nearly all of which are dicotyledonous trees, shrubs, or lianas.Hosts included plant species grown for fruits and as ornamen-tals, several weeds, and eighty-three species native to south-ern Florida. In addition to tropical plants, which predominate inthis region, it was found on many temperate zone plantswhose ranges extend to southern Florida. Seventeen plantspecies were consistently highly infested at different sites,and are thus considered highly susceptible; of these, ten areplants native to Florida.

The lobate lac scale,

Paratachardina lobata

(Fig. 1) is an in-sect pest of woody plants that was found in Florida for the firsttime in 1999 (Hamon, 2001). This species is native to Indiaand Sri Lanka (Chamberlin, 1923, 1925) and adventive inFlorida and the Bahamas. We are conducting research to un-derstand its biology and develop methods for managing thispest in urban and natural environments. Chemical controlmethods are available for the short term (Howard and Stein-berg, 2005) and biological control methods are being devel-oped for the long term (Pemberton, 2003a, b; Pemberton etal., 2006). Very little has been reported concerning its biology

in its native home in Southern Asia; however it is not reportedto be abundant, widely distributed, or a pest there.

Knowledge of the host range of this insect is of primaryimportance in understanding many other aspects of its ecolo-gy, including its potential adaptability to different vegetationtypes, its impact on plant life, and its potential spread. Thisknowledge is also important for developing methods for man-aging this pest.

The host plants of the lobate lac scale in Southern Asiahave been reported as

Flueggea leucopyrus

, and

Guazuma tomen-tosa

(Ben-Dov et al., 2004; Chamberlin, 1923; Mahdihassan,1946). Additional hosts in India have been identified in re-cent exploration for natural enemies of lobate lac scale inthat country (Pemberton, unpublished).

Soon after being found in Florida, it became evident thatthe lobate lac scale is highly polyphagous. In preliminary ob-servations on a 0.14 ha (0.35 acre) site, it was found on 37plant species (Pemberton, 2003a, b). As of October 2002, afew months after studies of the lobate lac scale were initiatedin Florida, records of several observers were compiled to pro-duce a host list of 120 plant species in 44 families (Howardand Pemberton, 2003; Howard et al., 2004). Pemberton, com-

*Corresponding author; e-mail: fwhoward@ufl.edu

Fig. 1. Lobate lac scales, Paratachardina lobata.

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc.

119: 2006. 399

bining published records with his unpublished records in-cluding host plants in the Bahamas, reported that the scaleinsect had been found on more than 200 species in 55 plantfamilies in its Florida-Bahamas range (Pemberton, 2003a).

In this paper we provide a list of hosts of lobate lac scalecompiled from records obtained during the period 2002-2006,identify several species as highly susceptible hosts, and discussthe theoretical and applied significance of the host list.

Materials and Methods

The host plant records of lobate lac scale were compiledfrom two sources.

1.

Records of lobate lac scale and its hosts obtained in the field byany one of the authors of the present paper

. During the periodJuly 2002-May 2006, plants at field sites in urban and nat-ural areas were examined throughout southeastern Flor-ida for the presence of lobate lac scales. This scale insectinfests twigs, branches, and main stems of usually lessthan 2 cm (0.79 inches) in diameter (Howard and Pem-berton, 2003). Although positive identification of scaleinsects generally is accomplished with microscopic exam-ination of slide mounts, lobate lac scale can be reliablyidentified in the field by using a 10

×

hand lens. It is theonly species of Kerriidae present in southern Florida andis easily distinguished in the field from other scale insectsthat occur in this region by its maroon color and highlyconvex, four-lobed shape (Fig. 1). Therefore, about 50%of the lobate lac scale host records of the authors werebased solely on field identifications of this insect. All oth-er records were verified by examination of specimens un-der the microscope by the third author.

An advantage in determining the host range of species ofmany of the scale insect families compared to that of manyother kinds of insects is their relative immobility. In manyscale insect families, the first instar is the only mobile stage offemales. Adult males of scale insects in general are wingedand mobile, but the male of the lobate lac scale has not beenseen in Florida and it is presumed to be parthenogenetichere. Once the female first instar settles on a plant surfaceand inserts its stylets for feeding, it remains in precisely thesame microsite for life. Thus, the presence of at least onesessile mature female lobate lac scale on a plant indicates thatthis plant supports complete development of the insect andthus is a true host.

Large areas with diverse native and/or exotic plant spe-cies were examined and included the following:

Miami-Dade County

: Everglades National Park, FairchildTropical Botanic Garden, Black Point Park, Matheson Ham-mock, Simpson Park, Tropical Park, University of Miami cam-pus, Florida International University (University Park Campus).

Broward County

: Secret Woods Nature Center, Fern ForestNature Center, Plantation Heritage Park, Markham Park, Fla-mingo Gardens, Broward Community College (central cam-pus), Nova-Southeastern University (main campus), TreeTops Park, University of Florida, IFAS, Fort Lauderdale Re-search & Education Center (FLREC).

Palm Beach County

: Dagger Wing Park, Gumbo Limbo Na-ture Center, Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge, Mounts BotanicalGarden.

In addition, numerous examinations were made in fortu-itously selected nurseries, residential, public, and commercial

landscaped sites, natural areas and other field sites, and somespecimens were obtained from material submitted by thepublic to the Cooperative Extension Service. As a part of fieldsurveys on different sites and in maintaining a nursery at theFLREC for growing plants for research, qualitative observa-tions were made on the relative densities of this scale insecton different host plants, and their damage to plants of differ-ent species.

2.

Records of the Division of Plant Industry (DPI), Florida Depart-ment of Agriculture and Consumer Services

. Specimens of lo-bate lac scale and their hosts were observed in the fieldand tentatively identified by qualified agricultural inspec-tors, employed by DPI, during routine inspections of alarge, but undetermined number of nurseries and otherareas. Specimens were sent to the Florida Collection ofArthropods at the Florida Department of Agriculture andConsumer Services, Division of Plant Industry (DPI)headquarters in Gainesville, where they were processedand examined under the microscope and their identifica-tion confirmed by the third author, and the identity oftheir host plant confirmed by DPI botanists.

The two sources of records were combined to provide abroad coverage of plant species. The first source, field surveysby the authors, had the advantage of being derived from ob-servations in diverse natural and urban landscapes, althoughin a limited number of field trips. In contrast, DPI records,which constituted the second source, were mostly from in-spections in commercial nurseries, but involved about 85 full-time inspectors.

The names of native plants follow that of Wunderlin andHansen (2003) and names of exotic plants follow that ofBurch et al. (1988).

Results and Discussion

The lobate lac scale was found on a total of 307 species ofplants shown in alphabetical order in Table 1 and grouped byplant family in Table 2. The hosts were woody dicotyledonousplants, including trees, shrubs, and lianas, with a few excep-tions discussed later in this paper.

We found that seventeen plant species, widely represent-ed in the landscape, were consistently infested by dense pop-ulations of lobate lac scale (Table 3), and therefore may beconsidered to be highly susceptible hosts of this scale insect,although experiments are needed to confirm this. These in-clude ten species native to Florida, two exotic species grownas fruit trees,

viz.

, lychee (

Litchi chinensis

) and carambola(

Averrhoa carambola

), and four exotic species that were intro-duced into Florida as ornamentals,

viz

., weeping fig (

Ficus ben-jamina

), Indian-laurel (

F. microcarpa

), Brazilian-pepper(

Schinus terebinthifolius

) and cajeput (

Melaleuca quinquenervia

).The latter two species have become serious invasive weeds(Austin, 1978).

Wax-myrtle (

Myrica cerifera

) is apparently the most suscep-tible host of lobate lac scale in southern Florida. Lobate lacscale was found at all sites where both wax-myrtle and thisscale insect were present, and the plant was consistently high-ly infested at many of the sites (Figs. 2 and 3). The infestationson this plant were often associated with a crust of sooty mold.Heavily infested wax-myrtles almost always had severe damageattributable to the scale insect, including extensive branchdie-back and often death of the shrub (Fig. 4). On the FL-

400

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc.

119: 2006.

Table 1. The host range of lobate lac scale,

Paratachardina lobata,

in southern Florida, species based on observations during 2002-2006, arranged in alphabet-ical order. *Indicates species native to Florida.

Abutilon

sp. (Malvaceae)

Calvaria inermis

(L.) Dubard

(Sapotaceae)—white milkwood

Acacia auriculiformis

Bentham (Fabaceae)—earleaf acacia *

Calyptranthes pallens

Grisebach (Myrtaceae)—spicewood

*Acacia choriophylla

Bentham (Fabaceae)—cinnecord, tamarindillo

Calyptranthes thomasiana

O. Berg (Myrtaceae)—Thomas’ lidflower*

Acacia farnesiana

(L.) Willdenow

(Fabaceae)—sweet acacia *

Calyptranthes zuzygium

(L.) Swartz (Myrtaceae)—myrtle-of-the-river

Acalypha godseffiana

S ander ex Masters (Euphorbiaceae)—copperleaf

Cananga odorata

(Lamarck) J. D. Hooker & T. Thomson (Annonaceae)—ylang-ylang

Acalypha hispida

Burman f. (Euphorbiaceae)—chenille plant, rabo de gato *

Capparis cynophallophora

L. (Capparaceae)—Jamaica caper tree

Acalypha wilkesiana

J. Mueller (Euphorbiaceae)—copperleaf

Casearia arguta

Humboldt, Bonpland & Kunth (Flacourtiaceae)—mata cartago*

Acer rubrum

L. (Aceraceae)—red maple

Casuarina cunninghamiana

Miquel (Casuarinaceae)—Australian-pine

Albizia lebbek

(L.) Bentham (Fabaceae)—East-Indian-walnut

Casuarina equisetifolia

L. (Casuarinaceae)—Australian-pine

Alectryon coriaceus

Radlkofer (Sapindaceae)—smooth rambutan *

Celtis laevigata

Willdenow (Celtidaceae)—sugarberry

Allophylus cominia

(L.) Swartz

(Sapindaceae)—kan lool

Cestrum diurnum

L. (Solanaceae)—day cestrum

*Ambrosia artemisiifolia

L. (Asteraceae)—common ragweed

Cestrum nocturnum

L. (Solanaceae)—night-blooming jasmine

*Amorpha herbacea

Walter (Fabaceae)—clusterspike false-indigo *

Chamaesyce hirta

L.

(Euphorbiaceae)—hairy spurge

*Amphitecna latifolia

(Miller) A. Gentry

(Bignoniaceae)—black calabash *

Chrysobalanus icaco

L. (Chrysobalanaceae)—cocoplum*

Amyris balsamifera

L. (Rutaceae)—balsam torchwood

Chrysophyllum cainito

L. (Sapotaceae)—star-apple*

Amyris elemifera

L. (Rutaceae)—sea torchwood *

Chrysophyllum oliviforme

L. (Sapotaceae)—satinleaf

Annona cherimola

Miller X

A. squamosa

L

.

(Annonaceae)—atemoya

Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Blume (Lauraceae)—cinnamon*

Annona glabra

L. (Annonaceae)—pond-apple

Citrus

×

paradisi

Macfadyen (Rutaceae)—grapefruit

Annona muricata

L. (Annonaceae)—soursop

Clausena lansium

(Loureiro) Skeels (Rutaceae)—wampi

Annona reticulata

L

.

(Annonaceae)—custard-apple

Clusia lanceolata

Cambessèdes (Clusiaceae)—cebola-da-restinga

Annona squamosa

L

.

(Annonaceae)—sugar-apple *

Clusia rosea

Jacquin (Clusiaceae)—pitch-apple, cupey

Antidesma bunius

(L.) K. Sprengel (Euphorbiaceae)—bignay

Combretum aubletii

de Candolle (Combretaceae)—monkey’s brush

Antidesma dallachyanum

Baillon (Euphorbiaceae)—Herbert River-cherry

Combretum obovatum

F. Hoffmann (Combretaceae)—spiny combretum bush

Antidesma platyphyllum

H. Mann, Jr. (Euphorbiaceae)—hamehame *

Conocarpus erectus

L. (Combretaceae)—buttonwood, mangle botón

Antipogon leptopus

Hooker & Arnott (Polygonaceae)—coral-vine

Cupaniopsis anacardioides

(A. Richard) Radlkofer (Sapindaceae)—carrotwood, tuckeroo

Archidendron lucyi

F. von Mueller (Fabaceae)—scarlet-bean

*Dalbergia ecastaphylum

(L.) Taubert (Fabaceae)—coin vine*

Ardisia escallonioides

Schlechtendal & Camisso (Myrsinaceae)—marlberry

Dalbergia sissoo

de Candolle (Fabaceae)—sissoo tree, Indian rosewood

Ardisia hirtella

Lundell

(Myrsinaceae)

*Dalea carthagensensis

(Jacquin) J. F. Macbride (Fabaceae)—Cartagena prairie-clover

Ardisia revoluta

Humbolt, Bonpland & Kunth (Myrsinaceae)—oreja-de-coyote

Dendrobium aphyllum

(Roxburgh) C.E.C. Fischer (Orchidaceae)—dendrobium orchid

Ardisia sieboldii

Miquel (Myrsinaceae)—duo-zhi-zi-jin-niu

Diospyros digyna

Jacquin (Ebenaceae)—black-sapote

Averrhoa bilimbi

L. (Oxalidaceae)—bilimbi, cucumber tree, tree sorrel

Diospyros mespiliformis

Hochstetter (Ebenaceae)—jackal-berry tree

Averrhoa carambola

L. (Oxalidaceae)—carambola, starfruit

*Dodonaea viscosa

Jacquin (Sapindaceae)—varnishleaf, hopbush*

Avicennia germinans

(L.) L. (Verbenaceae)—black mangrove

Dolichandrone spathacea

(L.f.) Schumann

(Bigononiaceae)—mangrove trumpet tree

*

Baccharis halimifolia

L. (Asteraceae)—saltbush, groundsel-tree

Dovyalis hebecarpa

(G. Gardner) Warburg (Flacourtiaceae)—Ceylon gooseberry, kitembila

Banara vanderbiltii

Urban

(Flacourteaceae)—palo de ramon

Duranta erecta

L. (Verbenaceae)—golden dewdropBauhinia sp. (Fabaceae) Durio testudinarium Beccari (Malvaceae)—kura kura*Bidens alba (L) de Candolle (Asteraceae)—romerillo, Spanish-needles Elaeocarpus decipiens Hemsley (Elaeocarpaceae)—Japanese blueberryBegonia sp. (Begoniaceae)—begonia *Erithalis fruticosa L. (Rubiaceae)—black torchBlighia sapida Konig (Sapindaceae)—akee Erythoxylum reticulatum Northrop (Erythoxylaceae)Bridelia monoica (L.) Merrill (Euphorbiaceae)—pop gun seed Eucalyptus bella K. D. Hill & L. A. S. Johnson (Myrtaceae)—ghost gumBrosimum alicastrum Swartz (Moraceae)—Mayan-breadnut, ramón *Eugenia axillaris (Swartz) Willdenow (Myrtaceae)—white stopper eugeniaBrunfelsia lactea Krug & Urban (Solanaceae)—vega blanca Eugenia brasiliensis Lamarck (Myrtaceae)—grumichamaBrunfelsia nitida Bentham (Solanaceae)—lady-of-the-night *Eugenia confusa de Candolle (Myrtaceae)—redberry stopperBrya ebenus (L.) de Candolle (Fabaceae)—Jamaican raintree *Eugenia foetida Persoon (Myrtaceae)—Spanish stopper, anguilaBucida spinosa (Northrop) × B. buceras L. (Combretaceae)—black-olive hybrid Eugenia luschnathiana Klotzsch ex O. Berg (Myrtaceae)—pitamba*Bucida buceras L. (Combretaceae)—black-olive, ucar Eugenia uniflora L. (Myrtaceae)—Surinam-cherry*Bumelia celastrina Humboldt, Bonpland & Kunth (Sapotaceae)—saffron-plum Euphorbia leucocephala Lotsy (Euphorbiaceae)—pascuita*Bursera simaruba (L.) Sargent (Burseraceae)—gumbo-limbo, almácigo Evodia ridleyi Hochreutiner (Rutaceae)—lacy lady araliaButea monosperma (Lamarck) Taubert (Fabaceae)—flame-of-the-forest *Exothea paniculata (Jussieu) Radlkofer (Sapindaceae)—inkwoodCaesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Swartz (Fabaceae)—red-bird-of-paradise Ficus aspera G. Forster (Moraceae)—rough-leaved fig, balemoCaesalpinia violacea (Miller) Standley (Fabaceae)—yurua *Ficus aurea Nuttall (Moraceae)—strangler figCajanus cajan (L.) Huth (Fabaceae)—pigeon pea, gandul Ficus benjamina L. (Moraceae)—banyan figCalliandra emarginata (Humboldt & Bonpland) Bentham (Fabaceae)—powder-

puff Ficus capensis Thunberg (Moraceae)—cape fig

Calliandra haematocephala Hasskarl (Fabaceae)—powderpuff *Ficus citrifolia Miller (Moraceae)—short-leaved figCalliandra surinamensis Bentham (Fabaceae)—pink powderpuff Ficus deltoidea Jack (Moraceae)—mistletoe fig, mistletoe plant*Callicarpa americana L. (Verbenaceae)—beautyberry, French-mulberry Ficus elastica L. (Moraceae)—Indian-rubber, Assam-rubberCallistemon viminale (Gaertner) Cheel (Myrtaceae)—weeping bottlebrush Ficus microcarpa L. f. (Moraceae)—Indian-laurelCalophyllum brasiliense Cambessèdes (Clusiaceae)—Brazilian beautyleaf Ficus natalensis Hochstetter (Moraceae)—mistletoe fig, licumo, natal figCalophyllum calaba L. (Clusiaceae)—Santa María Ficus nota (Blanco) Merrill (Moraceae)—tibigCalophyllum inophyllum L. (Clusiaceae)—Alexandrian laurel, laurelwood Ficus pertusa L. (Moraceae)—frutillo

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 119: 2006. 401

Ficus pumila L. (Moraceae)—climbing fig, creeping fig Macadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche (Proteaceae)—macadamia nutFicus racemosa L. (Moraceae)—cluster fig Macadamia tetraphylla L. A. S. Johnson (Proteaceae)—macadamia nutFicus rubiginosa Ventenat (Moraceae)—rustyleaf fig Mallotus philippinensis (Lamarck) Mueller Argoviensis (Euphorbiaceae)—red

kamala, rechanakaFicus rumphii Blume (Moraceae)—rumphius fig Magnolia champaca (L.) Baillon. ex Pierre (Magnoliaceae)—champakaFicus salicifolia (Vahl) Berg (Moraceae)—willowleaf fig *Magnolia virginiana L. (Magnoliaceae)—sweet bayFicus subcordata Blume (Moraceae)—balete, wunut Malvaviscus penduliflorus de Candolle (Malvaceae)—mazapan, turkscap mallowFicus virens Aiton (Moraceae)—spotted fig Malus sylvestris Miller (Rosaceae)—European crab appleFilicium decipiens (Wight & Arnot) Thwaites (Sapindaceae)—Japanese fern-tree Mangifera indica L. (Anacardiaceae)—mango*Flaveria linearis Lagasca (Asteraceae)—narrowleaf yellowtops *Manilkara jaimiqui (C. Wright) Dubard (Sapotaceae)—wild-dillyFlueggea acidoton (L.) G. L. Webster (Euphorbiaceae)—simpleleaf bushweed Manilkara kauki (L.) Dubard. (Sapotaceae)—wongiFortunella japonica (Thunberg) Swingle (Rutaceae)—round kumquat Manilkara pleeana (Pierre) Cronquist (Sapotaceae)—zapote de costaGarcinia mestonii F.M. Bailey (Clusiaceae)—Australian mangosteen Manilkara roxburghiana (Wight) Dubard (Sapotaceae)—mimusopsGarcinia prainiana King (Clusiaceae)—button mangosteen, serapu Manilkara zapota (L.) Van Royen (Sapotaceae)—sapodilla, nísperoGardenia jasminoides Ellis (Rubiaceae)—gardenia Marliera edulis Cambessèdes (Myrtaceae)—cambucáGardenia thunbergia L.f. (Rubiaceae)—Thunberg’s gardenia Melaleuca bracteata F. Mueller (Myrtaceae)—black tea-treeGigasiphon macrosiphon (Harms) Brenan (Fabaceae)—gigasiphon Melaleuca decora (Salisbury) Britten (Myrtaceae)—sweet tea-treeGinoria glabra Grisebach (Lythraceae)—clavellina Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cavanilles) S.T. Blake (Myrtaceae)—cajeputGinoria nudiflora (Hemsley) Koehne (Lythraceae)—guayabillo, pimientillo Melicocca bijuga L. (Sapindaceae)—Spanish-lime, mamoncilloGraptophyllum pictum (L.) Griffith (Acanthaceae)—caracature plant, cafe-con-

lecheMesua ferrea L. (Clusiaceae)—Ceylon ironwood, mesua, penaga

Grewia occidentalis L. (Tiliaceae)—starflower *Metopium toxiferum (L.) Krug & Urban (Anacardiaceae)—poisonwoodGuaiacum officinale L. (Zygophyllaceae)—lignum-vitae, guayacán Mimusops balata (Aublet) Gaertner (Sapotaceae)—bullet tree, ausubo*Guaiacum sanctum L. (Zygophyllaceae)—lignum-vitae, guayacán Mimusops caffra A. de Candolle (Sapotaceae)—coast red milkwoodHamelia cuprea Grisebach (Rubiaceae)—Bahamas flamebush Mimusops elengi L. (Sapotaceae)—Spanish-cherry*Hamelia patens Jacquin (Rubiaceae)—firebush Montanoa grandiflora Alaman ex de Candolle (Asteraceae)—daisy-treeHarpullia arborea (Blanco) Radlkofer (Sapindaceae)—magalad *Mosiera longipes (O. Berg) Small (Myrtaceae)—mangroveberry, long-stalked

stopperHeritiera littoralis Dryander (Malvaceae)—looking-glass tree Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack (Rutaceae)—orange-jasmineHibiscus rosa-sinensis L. (Malvaceae)—hibiscus Mussaenda erythrophylla Schumacher & Thonning (Rubiaceae)—summer poin-

settiaHibiscus schizopetalus (Masters) Hooker f. (Malvaceae)—fringed hibiscus *Myrcianthes fragrans (Swartz) McVaugh (Myrtaceae)—Simpson’s stopperHibicus tiliaceus L. (Malvaceae)—mahoe, sea hibiscus Myrciaria cauliflora (de Candolle) O. Berg in Martius (Myrtaceae)—jaboticaba*Hypelate trifoliata Swartz (Sapindaceae)—white ironwood Myrciaria vexator McVaugh (Myrtaceae)—false-jaboticaba*Ilex vomitoria Aiton (Aquifoliaceae)—yaupon holly *Myrica cerifera L. (Myricaceae)—wax-myrtle, southern bayberry*Ilex cassine L. (Aquifoliaceae)—dahoon holly *Ocotea coriacea (Swartz) Britton (Lauraceae)—lancewoodInga affinis de Candolle (Fabaceae)—ingá doce Ocimum sp. (Lamiaceae)—Thai basilInga edulis Martius (Fabaceae)—guamo Pachystachys lutea Nees (Acanthaceae)—golden shrimp plantIxora sp. (Rubiaceae) Parmentiera aculeata (Kunth) Seemann (Fabaceae)—cow-okraJacquinia aurantiaca Aiton (Theophrastaceae)—chica *Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planchon (Vitaceae)—Virginia-creeperJacquinia armillaris Jacquin (Theophrastaceae)—barbasco Pavonia bahamensis Hitchcock (Malvaceae)—Bahama swampbushJatropha integerrima Jacquin (Euphorbiaceae)—peregrine *Pavonia paludicola D. H. Nicolson (Malvaceae)—mangrove mallow*Juniperus virginiana L. (Cupressaceae)—redcedar Peltophorum pterocarpum (de Candolle) K. Heyne (Fabaceae)—copperpodJusticia brandegeana Wasshausen & L. B. Smith (Acanthaceae)—shrimp plant Pentas lanceolata (Forsskal) Deflers (Rubiaceae)—star cluster, Egyptian star

clusterKoelreuteria elegans (Seemann) A. C. Smith (Sapindaceae)—golden-rain tree Persea americana Miller (Lauraceae)—avocado*Krugiodendron ferreum (Vahl) Urban (Rhamnaceae)—black ironwood *Persea borbonia (L.) Sprengel (Lauraceae)—red bayLagerstroemia indica L. (Lythraceae)—crape-myrtle *Persea palustris (Rafinesque-Schmaltz) Sargent (Lauraceae)—swamp redbayLagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Persoon (Lythraceae)—queen’s crape-myrtle Petrea volubilis Jaquin (Verbenaceae)—queen’s wreath*Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertner f. (Combretaceae)—white mangrove Phoenix roebelenii O’Brien (Palmae)—miniature date palmLansium domesticum Corrêa da Serra (Meliaceae)—duku, langsat Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill (Myrtaceae)—allspiceLaurus nobilis L. (Lauraceae)—laurel, sweetbay Pimenta racemosa (Miller) J. W. Moore (Myrtaceae)—bay rumLawsonia inermis L. (Lythraceae)—henna, manjuati Piper sp. (Piperaceae)—pepperLecythis minor Jacquin (Lecythidaceae)—monkey pod Pithecellobium flexicaule (Bentham) J.M. Coulter (Fabaceae)—Texas ebonyLeonotis leonurus (L.) R. Brown (Lamiaceae)—lion’s-ear *Pithecellobium keyense ex Britton & Rose (Fabaceae)—Florida Keys blackbeadLeonotis nepetifolia (L.) R. Brown (Lamiaceae)—wild dagga, Christmas candle-

stick*Pluchea carolinensis (Jacquin) G. Don (Asteraceae)—cure-for-all

Leucaena leucocephala (Lamarck) de Wit (Fabaceae)—lead tree Polygala cowellii (Britton) Blake (Polygalaceae)—violet-treeLicania tomentosa (Bentham) Fritsch (Chrysobalanaceae)—oiticica Pongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre (Fabaceae)—pongam*Licaria triandra (Swartz) Kostermans (Lauraceae)—pepper-leaf sweetwood Pouteria caimito Radlkofer (Sapotaceae)—abjuLitchi chinensis Sonnerat (Sapindaceae)—lychee Pouzolzia zeylanica (L.) Bennett (Urticaceae)—Pouzolz’s bushLonchocarpus sp. (Fabaceae) Pseudosamanea cubana Britton & Rose (Barneby & Grimes) (Fabaceae)—

aimiqui, bacona*Ludwigia peruviana (L.) Hara (Onagraceae)—primrose-willow Pseudospondias microcarpa (A. Richard) Engler (Anacardiaceae)—nculi*Lysiloma latisiliqua (L.) Bentham (Fabaceae)—wild-tamarind Psidium androsianum (Urban) Correll (Myrtaceae)—long-stalked stopperLysiloma sabicu Bentham (Fabaceae)—sabicu Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae)—guava

Table 1. (Continued) The host range of lobate lac scale, Paratachardina lobata, in southern Florida, species based on observations during 2002-2006,arranged in alphabetical order. *Indicates species native to Florida.

402 Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 119: 2006.

REC, four wax-myrtles in a landscape planting died within lessthan a year after becoming highly infested with lobate lacscales. In a large natural area at Secret Woods Nature Center,wax-myrtles, which are a major component of the understory,were heavily infested by 2002 and within about two years werevirtually eliminated. When we initiated our study of the lobatelac scale at the FLREC, we maintained populations of thescale insect on containerized wax-myrtles. Later however, webegan rearing them on other plant species because the wax-myrtles infested with lobate lac scales constantly died and hadto be replaced.

Although the consistency with which some plant specieswere heavily attacked distinguished them as major hosts oflobate lac scale (Table 3), data from controlled experimentsis not available for ranking plant species according to theirsusceptibility, and the relative infestation levels of many spe-cies varied greatly between sites. For example, silver button-wood (Conocarpus erectus), black-olive (Bucida buceras) and redbay (Persea borbonia) have remained only moderately infestedat some sites since we initiated observations, but were highly

infested at other sites. Such differences may have been dueto different combinations of genetic and ecological factorsand to different infestation histories between the sites. Pro-nounced differences were observed in the infestation levelsof some fruit trees at different sites, viz., mango (Mangifera in-dica), carambola (Averrhoa carambola), and sapodilla (Manil-kara sapota), and may have been due, at least in part, tovarietal differences.

Eighty-three of the plant species identified as hosts are ofthe native flora of southern Florida, which is essentially partof the flora of the West Indies, with elements of temperateeastern North America. The native hosts included flora of di-verse habitats, such as red mangrove (Rhyzophora mangle)growing in a saltmarsh habitat, and plants of various inlandhabitats. This scale insect has also been found on many nativeplants in the Bahamas (Pemberton, unpublished).

The lobate lac scale survived simulated frost conditions inthe laboratory (Howard, unpublished), but additional studiesare required to determine whether this species could survivethe winter if were it to spread into northern Florida and fur-

Psidium littorale Raddi (Myrtaceae)—strawberry guava, cattley guava *Sideroxylon salicifolium (L.) H. J. Lam (Sapotaceae)—willow bustic*Psychotria ligustrifolia (Northrop) Millspaugh (Rubiaceae)—Bahama wild-cof-

feeSolanum diphyllum L. (Solanaceae)—amatillo

*Psychotria nervosa Swartz (Rubiaceae)—wild-coffee Solanum tampicense Dunal (Solanaceae)—aquatic soda-applePsychotria punctata Vatke (Rubiaceae)—dotted wild-coffee Solanum torvum Swartz (Solanaceae)—turkeyberry, prickly solanum*Psychotria sulzneri Small (Rubiaceae)—velvetleaf wild-coffee Solenostemon scutellarioides (L.) Codd (Lamiaceae)-coleusPsychotria viridis Ruiz & Pavon (Rubiaceae)—wild-coffee, chacruna, samiruca Spermacoce verticillata L. (Rubiaceae)—shrubby false—buttonweedPterospermum acerifolium (L.) Willdenow (Sterculiaceae)—maple leaved bayur Spondias mombin L. (Anacardiaceae)—Java-plumPyrus sp. (Rosaceae)—pear Sterculia ceramica R. Brown (Sterculiaceae)—Fairchild sterculia*Quercus geminata Small (Fagaceae)—sand live oak Synsepalum dulcifum Schumann (Sapotaceae)—miracle fruitQuercus hemisphaerica Bartram ex Willdenow (Fagaceae)—Darlington oak Syzygium cuminii (L.) Skeels (Myrtaceae)—jambolan, Java-plum*Quercus incana W. Bartram (Fagaceae)—bluejack oak Syzygium grande (Wight) Walpers (Myrtaceae)—sea-appleQuercus laurifolia Michaux (Fagaceae)—laurel oak Syzygium jambos (L.) Alston (Myrtaceae)—rose-apple, pomarrosa*Quercus virginiana Miller (Fagaceae)—live oak Syzygium malaccense (L.) Merrill & Perry (Myrtaceae)—malay-apple*Randia aculeata L. (Rubiaceae)—white indigoberry Syzygium paniculatum Gaertner (Myrtaceae)—Australian brush-cherry*Rapanea punctata (Lamarck) Lundell (Myrsinaceae)—myrsine, colicwood Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merrill & Perry (Myrtaceae)—Java-apple, wax

jambuRheedia acuminata (Ruiz & Pavon) Planchon & Triana (Clusiaceae)—madrono,

naranjitoTalisia olivaeformis (Humbolt, Bonpland & Kunth) Radlkofer (Sapindaceae)—

cotopris, guayo, yellow genipRheedia aristata Grisebach (Clusiaceae)—manajú *Taxodium distichum (L.) L. Richter (Taxodiaceae)—baldcypressRheedia edulis (Seemann) Triana et Planchon (Clusiaceae)—waikiki-plum *Tecoma stans (L.) Humboldt, Bonpland and Kunth (Bignoniaceae)—yellow

elderRheedia macrophylla Planchon & Triana (Clusiaceae)—charichuela Tecoma capensis (Thunberg) Spach (Bignoniaceae)—cape-honeysuckle*Rhizophora mangle L. (Rhizophoraceae)—red mangrove Terminalia catappa L. (Combretaceae)—tropical-almond*Rhus copallinum L. (Anacardiaceae)—winged sumac Terminalia muelleri Bentham (Combretaceae)—Mueller terminalia, black-oliveRondeletia leucophylla Kunth (Rubiaceae)—bush pentas, Panama-rose *Tetrazygia bicolor (Miller) Cogniaux (Melastomataceae)—Florida tetrazygia,

West Indian-lilacRosa sp. (Rosaceae)—rose *Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze (Anacardiaceae)—eastern poison-ivyRosmarinus officinalis L. (Lamiaceae)—rosemary Trichospermum mexicanum (de Candolle) Baillon (Malvaceae)—capulín colo-

radoRuizia cordata Cavanilles (Malvaceae)—bois-de-senteur blanc Tridax procumbens L. (Asteraceae)—tridax, cadillo chisacaRuellia brittoniana E. Leonard (Acanthaceae)—Britton’s wild-petunia *Trema micrantha (L.) Blume (Celtidaceae)—Florida trema, guacimilla*Salix caroliniana Michaux (Salicaceae)—coastal plains willow Triplaris cumingiana Fischer & C. A. Meyer ex C. A. Meyer (Polygonaceae)—ant

tree*Salvia coccinea P. J. Buchoz ex Etlinger (Lamiaceae)—blood sage Trumfetta semitriloba Jacquin (Tileaceae)—burbrushSamanea saman (Jacquin) Merrill (Fabaceae)—samán Urena lobata L. (Malvaceae)—Caesar’s weedSchefflera actinophylla (Endlicher) Harms (Araliaceae)—umbrella tree *Verbesina virginica L. (Asteraceae)—white crownbeardSchefflera elegantissima (Veitch ex Masters) Lowry & Frodin (Araliaceae)—false

araliaViburnum sp. (Caprifoliaceae)—arrow-wood

Schinus molle L. (Anacardiaceae)—California-pepper tree, Peruvian-pepper tree *Vitis rotundifolia Michaux (Vitaceae)—muscadine grapeSchinus terebinthifolius Raddi (Anacardiaceae)—Brazilian-pepper Wallaceodendron celebicum Koorders (Fabaceae)—banuyo, lupijiSideroxylon americanum (Miller) T. D. Penn (Sapotaceae)—bois-de-fer juane Ziziphus mauritiana Lamarck (Rhamnaceae)—Indian jujube, Chinese-apple*Sideroxylon foetidissimum (Jacquin) H. J. Lam (Sapotaceae)—false-mastic

Table 1. (Continued) The host range of lobate lac scale, Paratachardina lobata, in southern Florida, species based on observations during 2002-2006,arranged in alphabetical order. *Indicates species native to Florida.

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 119: 2006. 403

Table 2. The host range of lobate lac scale, Paratachardina lobata, in southern Florida, species based on observations during 2002-2006, arranged by plantfamily. *Indicates species native to Florida.

ANGIOSPERMS: DICOTYLEDONS Clusia lanceolata Cambessèdes—cebola-da-restingaAcanthaceae Garcinia mestonii F. M. Bailey—Australian mangosteenGraptophyllum pictum (L.) Griffith—caricature plant, cafe-con-leche Garcinia prainiana King—button mangosteen, serapuJusticia brandegeana Wasshausen & L. B. Smith—shrimp plant Mesua ferrea L.—Ceylon ironwood, mesua, penagaPachystachys lutea Nees—golden shrimp plant Rheedia acuminata (Ruiz & Pavon) Planchon & Triana—madroño, naranjitoRuellia brittoniana E. Leonard—Britton’s wild-petunia Rheedia aristata Grisebach—manajúAceraceae Rheedia edulis (Seemann) Triana & Planchon—waikiki-plum*Acer rubrum L.—red maple Rheedia macrophylla Planchon & Triana—charichuelaAnacardiaceae CombretaceaeMangifera indica L.—mango Bucida spinosa (Northrop) × B. buceras L.—black-olive hybrid*Metopium toxiferum (L.) Krug & Urban—poisonwood *Bucida buceras L.—black-olive, ucarPseudospondias microcarpa (A. Richard) Engler—nculi Combretum aubletii de Candolle—monkey’s brush*Rhus copallinum L.—winged sumac Combretum obovatum F. Hoffmann—spiny combretum bushSchinus molle L.—California-pepper tree, Peruvian-pepper tree *Conocarpus erectus L.—buttonwood, mangle botónSchinus terebinthifolius Raddi—Brazilian-pepper *Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertner f.—white mangroveSpondias mombin L.—Java-plum Terminalia muelleri Bentham—Mueller terminalia, black-olive*Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze—eastern poison-ivy Terminalia catappa L.—tropical-almondAnnonaceae EbenaceaeAnnona cherimola Miller × A. squamosa L.—atemoya Diospyros digyna Jacquin—black-sapote*Annona glabra L.—pond-apple Diospyros mespiliformis Hochstetter—jackal-berry treeAnnona muricata L.—soursop ElaeocarpaceaeAnnona reticulata L.—custard-apple Elaeocarpus decipiens Hemsley—Japanese blue-berryAnnona squamosa L.—sugar-apple ErythoxylaceaeCananga odorata (Lamarck) J. D. Hooker & T. Thomson—ylang-ylang Erythoxylum reticulatum NorthropAquifoliaceae Euphorbiaceae*Ilex cassine L.—dahoon holly Acalypha godseffiana Sander ex Masters—copperleaf*Ilex vomitoria Aiton—yaupon holly Acalypha hispida Burman f.—chenille plant, rabo de gatoAraliaceae Acalypha wilkesiana J. Mueller—copperleafSchefflera actinophylla (Endlicher) Harms—umbrella tree Antidesma bunius (L.) K. Sprengel—bignaySchefflera elegantissima (Veitch ex Masters) Lowry & Frodin—false aralia Antidesma dallachyanum Baillon—Herbert River-cherryAsteraceae Antidesma platyphyllum H. Mann, Jr.—hamehame*Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.—common ragweed Bridelia monoica (L.) Merrill—pop gun seed*Baccharis halimifolia L.—saltbush, groundsel-tree *Chamaesyce hirta L.—hairy spurge*Bidens alba (L) de Candolle—romerillo, Spanish-needles Euphorbia leucocephala Lotsy—pascuita*Flaveria linearis Lagasca—narrowleaf yellowtops Flueggea acidoton (L.) G. L. Webster—simpleleaf bushweedMontanoa grandiflora Alaman ex de Candolle—daisy-tree Jatropha integerrima Jacquin—peregrina*Pluchea carolinensis (Jacquin) G. Don—cure-for-all Mallotus philippinensis (Lamarck) Mueller Argoviensis—red kamala, rechanakaTridax procumbens L.—tridax, cadillo chisaca Fabaceae*Verbesina virginica L.—white crownbeard Acacia auriculiformis BenthamBegoniaceae *Acacia choriophylla Bentham—cinnecord, tamarindilloBegonia sp. – begonia *Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willdenow—sweet acaciaBignoniaceae Albizia lebbek (L.) Bentham—East-Indian-walnut*Amphitecna latifolia (Miller) A. Gentry—black calabash *Amorpha herbacea (Walter)—clusterpike false-indigoDolichandrone spathacea (L.f.) Schumann—mangrove trumpet tree Archidendron lucyi F. von Mueller—scarlet-bean*Tecoma stans (L.) Humboldt, Bonpland and Kunth—yellow elder Bauhinia sp.Tecoma capensis (Thunberg) Spach—cape-honeysuckle Brya ebenus (L.) de Candolle—Jamaican raintreeBurseraceae Butea monosperma (Lamarck) Taubert—flame-of-the-forest*Bursera simaruba (L.) Sargent—gumbo-limbo, almácigo Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Swartz—red-bird-of-paradiseCapparaceae Caesalpinia violacea (Miller) Standley—yurua*Capparis cynophallophora L.—Jamaica caper tree Cajanus cajan (L.) Huth—pigeon pea, gandulCaprifoliaceae Calliandra emarginata (Humboldt & Bonpland) Bentham—powderpuffViburnum sp.—arrow-wood Calliandra haematocephala Hasskarl—powderpuffCasuarinaceae Calliandra surinamensis Bentham—pink powderpuffCasuarina cunninghamiana Miquel—Australian-pine *Dalbergia ecastaphylum (L.) Taubert—coin vineCasuarina equisetifolia L.—Australian-pine Dalbergia sissoo de Candolle—sissoo tree, Indian rosewoodCeltidaceae *Dalea carthagenensis (Jacquin) J. F. Macbride—Cartagena prairie-clover*Celtis laevigata Willdenow—sugarberry Gigasiphon macrosiphon (Harms) Brenan—gigasiphon*Trema micrantha (L.) Blume—Florida trema, guacimilla Inga affinis de Candolle—ingá doceChrysobalanaceae Inga edulis Martius—guamo*Chrysobalanus icaco L.—cocoplum Leucaena leucocephala (Lamarck) de Wit—lead treeLicania tomentosa (Bentham) Fritsch—oiticica Lonchocarpus sp.Clusiaceae *Lysiloma latisiliqua (L.) Bentham—wild-tamarindCalophylum brasiliense Cambessèdes—Brazilian beautyleaf Lysiloma sabicu Bentham—sabicuCalophyllum calaba L.—Santa María Parmentiera aculeata (Kunth) Seemann—cow-okraCalophyllum inophyllum L.—Alexandrian laurel, laurelwood Peltophorum pterocarpum (de Candolle) K. Heyne—copperpod*Clusia rosea Jacquin—pitch-apple, cupey Pithecellobium flexicaule (Bentham) J. M. Coulter—Texas ebony

404 Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 119: 2006.

*Pithecellobium keyense ex Britton & Rose—Florida Keys blackbead *Ficus citrifolia Miller—short-leaved figPongamia pinnata (L.) Pierre—pongam Ficus deltoidea Jack—mistletoe fig, mistletoe plantSamanea saman (Jacquin) Merrill—rain tree Ficus elastica L.—Indian-rubber, Assam-rubberWallaceodendron celebicum Koorders—banuyo, lupiji Ficus microcarpa L.f.—Indian-laurelPseudosamanea cubana Britton & Rose (Barneby & Grimes) (Fabaceae)—

aimiqui, baconaFicus natalensis Hochstetter—mistletoe fig, licumo, natal fig

Fagaceae Ficus nota (Blanco) Merrill—tibig*Quercus geminata Small—sand live oak Ficus pertusa L.—frutilloQuercus hemisphaerica Bartram ex Wildenow—Darlington oak Ficus pumila L.—climbing fig, creeping fig*Quercus incana W. Bartram—bluejack oak Ficus racemosa L.—cluster fig*Quercus laurifolia Michaux—laurel oak Ficus rubiginosa Desfontaines ex Ventenat—rustyleaf fig*Quercus virginiana Miller—live oak Ficus rumphii Blume—rumphius figFlacourtiaceae Ficus salicifolia (Vahl) Berg—willowleaf figBanara vanderbiltii Urban—palo de ramon Ficus subcordata Blume—balete, wunutCasearia arguta Humboldt, Bonpland & Kunth—mata cartago Ficus virens Aiton—spotted figDovyalis hebecarpa (G. Gardner) Warburg—Ceylon gooseberry, kitembila MyricaceaeLamiaceae *Myrica cerifera L.—wax-myrtleLeonotis leonurus (L.) R. Brown—lion’s-ear MyrsinaceaeLeonotis nepetifolia (L.) R. Brown—wild dagga, Christmas candlestick *Ardisia escallonioides Chamisso & Schlechtendal—marlberryOcimum sp.—Thai basil Ardisia hirtella LundellRosmarinus officinalis L.—rosemary Ardisia revoluta Humbolt, Bonpland & Kunth—oreja-de-coyote*Salvia coccinea P. J. Buchoz ex Etlinger—blood sage Ardisia sieboldii Miquel—duo-zhi-zi-jin-niuSolenostemon scutellarioides (L.) Codd—coleus *Rapanea punctata (Lamarck) Lundell—myrsineLauraceae MyrtaceaeCinnamomum zeylanicum Blume—cinnamon Callistemon viminale (Gaertner) Cheel—weeping bottlebrushLaurus nobilis L.—laurel, sweetbay *Calyptranthes pallens Grisebach—spicewood*Licaria triandra (Swartz) Kostermans—pepperleaf sweetwood Calyptranthes thomasiana O. Berg—Thomas’ lidflower*Ocotea coriacea (Swartz) Britton—lancewood *Calyptranthes zuzygium (L.) Swartz—myrtle-of-the-riverPersea americana Miller—avocado Eucalyptus bella K. D. Hill & L. A. S. Johnson—ghost gum*Persea borbonia (L.) Sprengel—red bay *Eugenia axillaris (Swartz) Willdenow—white-stopper eugenia*Persea palustris (Rafinesque-Schmaltz) Sargent—swamp redbay Eugenia brasiliensis Lamarck—grumichamaLecythidaceae *Eugenia confusa de Candolle—redberry stopperLecythis minor Jacquin—monkey pod *Eugenia foetida Persoon—Spanish stopper, anguilaLythraceae Eugenia luschnathiana Klotzsch ex O. Berg—pitambaGinoria glabra Grisebach—clavellina Eugenia uniflora L.—Surinam-cherryGinoria nudiflora (Hemsley) Koehne—guayabillo, pimientillo Marliera edulis Cambessèdes—cambucáLagerstroemia indica L.—crape-myrtle Melaleuca bracteata F. Mueller—black tea-treeLagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Persoon—queen’s crape-myrtle Melaleuca decora (Salisbury) Britten—sweet tea-treeLawsonia inermis L.—henna, manjuati Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cavanilles) S. T. Blake—cajeputMagnoliaceae *Mosiera longipes (O. Berg) Small—Mangroveberry, long-stalked stopper*Magnolia virginiana L.—sweet bay *Myrcianthes fragrans—Simpson’s stopperMagnolia champaca (L.) Baillon. ex Pierre—champaka Myrciaria cauliflora (de Candolle) O. Berg in Martius—jaboticabaMalvaceae Myrciaria vexator McVaugh—false-jaboticabaAbutilon sp. Pimenta dioica (L.) Merrill—allspiceDurio testudinarium Beccari—kura kura Pimenta racemosa (Miller) J. W. Moore—bay rumHeritiera littoralis Dryander—looking-glass tree Psidium androsianum (Urban) Correll—long-stalked stopperHibiscus rosa-sinensis L.—hibiscus Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae)—guavaHibiscus schizopetalus (Masters) Hooker f.—fringed hibiscus Psidium littorale Raddi—strawberry guava, cattley guavaHibicus tiliaceus L.—mahoe, sea hibiscus Syzigium cuminii (L.) Skeels—jambolan, Java-plumMalvaviscus penduliflorus de Candolle—Mazapan, Turkscap mallow Syzygium grande (Wight) Walpers—sea-applePavonia bahamensis Hitchcock—Bahama swampbush Syzygium jambos (L.) Alston—rose-apple, pomarrosa*Pavonia paludicola D. H. Nicolson—mangrove mallow Syzygium malaccense (L.) Merrill & Perry—malay-appleRuizia cordata Cavanilles—bois-de-senteur blanc Syzygium paniculatum Gaertner—Australian brush-cherryTrichospermum mexicanum (de Candolle) Baillon—capulín colorado Syzygium samarangense (Blume) Merrill & Perry—Java-apple, wax jambuUrena lobata L.—Caesar’s weed OnagraceaeMelastomataceae *Ludwigia peruviana (L.) Hara—primrose-willow*Tetrazygia bicolor (Miller) Cogniaux—Florida tetrazygia, West Indian-lilac OrchidaceaeMeliaceae Dendrobium aphyllum (Roxburgh) C.E.C. Fischer—dendrobium orchidLansium domesticum Corrêa da Serra—duku, langsat OxalidaceaeMoraceae Averrhoa bilimbi L.—bilimbi, cucumber tree, tree sorrelBrosimum alicastrum Swartz—Mayan-breadnut, ramón Averrhoa carambola L.—carambola, starfruitFicus aspera G. Forster—rough-leaved fig, balemo Piperaceae*Ficus aurea Nuttall—strangler fig Piper sp.—pepperFicus benjamina L.—banyan fig PolygalaceaeFicus capensis Thunberg—cape fig Polygala cowellii (Britton) Blake—violet-tree

Table 2. (Continued) The host range of lobate lac scale, Paratachardina lobata, in southern Florida, species based on observations during 2002-2006,arranged by plant family. *Indicates species native to Florida.

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 119: 2006. 405

ther north. The geographic range of many of the native plantson which it was found in southern Florida extends to north-ern Florida and beyond, indicating that it could survive on atleast some plants present in these areas. Examples of these in-clude red maple (Acer rubrum), common ragweed (Ambrosiaartimisiifolia), Spanish needles (Bidens alba), groundsel-tree

(Baccharis halimifolia), beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), sug-arberry (Celtis laevigata), yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) (Fig. 5),dahoon holly (I. cassine), red cedar (Juniperus virginiana),sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana), wax-myrtle (Myrica cerifera),Virginia-creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), redbay (Perseaborbonia), swamp redbay (P. palustris), sand live oak (Quercus

Polygonaceae SapotaceaeAntipogon leptopus Hooker & Arnott—coral-vine *Bumelia celastrina Humboldt, Bonpland & Kunth—saffron-plumTriplaris cumingiana Fischer & C.A. Meyer ex C.A. Meyer—ant tree Calvaria inermis (L.) Dubard—white milkwoodProteaceae Chrysophyllum cainito L.—star-appleMacadamia integrifolia Maiden & Betche—macadamia nut *Chrysophyllum oliviforme L.—satinleafMacadamia tetraphylla L. A. S. Johnson—macadamia nut *Manilkara jaimiqui (C. Wright) Dubard—wild-dillyRhamnaceae Manilkara kauki (L.) Dubard—wongi*Krugiodendron ferreum (Vahl) Urban—black ironwood Manilkara pleeana (Pierre) Cronquist—zapote de costaZiziphus mauritiana Lamarck—Indian jujube, Chinese apple Manilkara roxburghiana (Wight) Dubard—mimusopsRhizophoraceae Manilkara zapota (L.) Van Royen—sapodilla, nispero*Rhizophora mangle L.—red mangrove Mimusops balata (Aublet) Gaertner—bullet tree, ausuboRoseaceae Mimusops caffra A. de Candolle—coast red milkwoodMalus sylvestris Miller—European crab apple Mimusops elengi L.—Spanish-cherryPyrus sp.—pear Pouteria caimito Radlkofer—abjuRosa sp.—rose Sideroxylon americanum (Miller) T. D. Penn—bois-de-fer jauneRubiaceae *Sideroxylon foetidissimum Jacquin—false-mastic*Erithalis fruticosa L.—black torch *Sideroxylon salicifolium (L.) Lamarck—willow busticGardenia jasminoides Ellis—gardenia Synsepalum dulcificum Schumacher & Thonning—miracle fruitGardenia thunbergia L.f.—Thunberg’s gardenia SolanaceaeHamelia cuprea Grisebach—Bahamas flamebush Brunfelsia lactea Krug & Urban—vega blanca*Hamelia patens Jacquin—firebush Brunfelsia nitida Bentham—lady-of-the-nightIxora sp. Cestrum diurnum L.—day cestrumMussaenda erythrophylla Schumacher & Thonning—summer poinsettia Cestrum nocturnum L.—night-blooming jasminePentas lanceolata (Forsskal) Deflers—star cluster, Egyptian star cluster Solanum diphyllum L.—amatillo*Psychotria ligustrifolia (Northrup) Millspaugh—Bahama wild-coffee Solanum tampicense Dunal—aquatic soda-apple*Psychotria nervosa Swartz—wild-coffee Solanum torvum Swartz—turkeyberry, prickly solanumPsychotria punctata Vatke—dotted wild-coffee Sterculiaceae*Psychotria sulzneri Small—velvetleaf wild-coffee Sterculia ceramica R. Brown—Fairchild sterculiaPsychotria viridis Ruiz & Pavon—wild coffee, chacruna, samiruca Pterospermum acerifolium (L.) Willdenow—maple leaved bayur*Randia aculeata L.—white indigoberry TiliaceaeRondeletia leucophylla Kunth—bush pentas, Panama-rose Grewia occidentalis L.—starflowerSpermacoce verticillata L.—shrubby false-buttonweed Trumfeta semitriloba Jacquin—burbrushRutaceae Theophrastaceae*Amyris balsamifera L.—balsam torchwood Jacquinia armillaris Jacquin—barbasco*Amyris elemifera L.—sea torchwood Jacquinia aurantiaca Aiton—chicaCitrus × paradisi Macfadyen—grapefruit UrticaceaeClausena lansium (Loureiro) Skeels—wampi Pouzolzia zeylanica (L.) Bennett—Pouzolz’s bushEvodia ridleyi Hochreutiner—lacy lady aralia VerbenaceaeFortunella japonica (Thunberg) Swingle—round kumquat *Avicennia germinans (L.) L.—black mangroveMurraya paniculata (L.) Jack—orange-jasmine *Callicarpa americana L.—beautyberry, French-mulberrySalicaceae Duranta erecta L.—golden dewdrop*Salix caroliniana Michaux—coastal plains willow Petrea volubilis Jacquin—queen’s wreathSapindaceae VitaceaeAlectryon coriaceus Radlkofer—smooth rambutan, beach bird’s eye *Parthenocissus quinquefolia (L.) Planchon—Virginia-creeperAllophylus cominia (L.) Swartz—kan lool *Vitis rotundifolia Michaux—muscadine grapeBlighia sapida Konig—akee ZygophyllaceaeCupaniopsis anacardioides (A. Richard) Radlkofer—carrotwood, tuckeroo Guaiacum officinale L.—lignum-vitae, guayacán*Dodonaea viscosa Jacquin—varnishleaf, hopbush *Guaiacum sanctum L.—lignum-vitae, guayacán*Exothea paniculata (Jussieu) Radlkofer—inkwood ANGIOSPERMS: MONOCOTYLEDONS

Filicium decipiens (Wight & Arnott) Thwaites—Japanese fern-tree PalmaeHarpullia arborea (Blanco) Radlkofer—magalad Phoenix roebelenii O’Brien—miniature date palm*Hypelate trifoliata Swartz—white ironwood Coniferales:Koelreuteria elegans (Seemann) A. C. Smith—golden-rain tree CupressaceaeLitchi chinensis Sonnerat—lychee *Juniperus virginiana L.—redcedarMelicocca bijuga L.—Spanish-lime, mamoncillo TaxodiaceaeTalisia olivaeformis (Humbolt, Bonpland & Kunth) Radlkofer—guayo, cotopris,

yellow genip*Taxodium distichum (L.) L. Richter—baldcypress

Table 2. (Continued) The host range of lobate lac scale, Paratachardina lobata, in southern Florida, species based on observations during 2002-2006,arranged by plant family. *Indicates species native to Florida.

406 Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 119: 2006.

geminata), Darlington oak (Q. hemisphaerica), bluejack oak(Q. incana), laurel oak (Q. laurifolia), live oak (Q. virginiana),coastal plains willow (Salix caroliniana), bald cypress (Taxodi-um distichum), eastern poison-ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), andmuscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia). Most of the exotic hostplants of the lobate lac scale are of tropical origin, most ofwhich are not found in northern Florida and beyond, with afew exceptions, such as crape-myrtle (Lagerstroemia indica),which is widely planted in the Gulf States.

The basis for considering a plant species as a host of thescale insect was the presence of at least one mature female lo-bate lac scale. Many of the plant species that are listed as hostsmet this minimal criterion, but may, in fact, be poor hosts.Conversely, in some cases a plant that initially appeared to bea poor host was found to be highly infested later at the sameor at a different site. However, based upon our experienceand observations of recently introduced, polyphagous insectpests, they often tend to occur sporadically on many plantspecies when their population is high, but do not infest thesehosts at lower population levels. Once brought under controlin southern Florida, lobate lac scale will probably attack fewerplant species in this region, as is apparently the case in its na-tive range in India, where it is under natural control.

We consider the isolated records on plants other thanthose of woody dicotyledonous angiosperms, for exampleredcedar (Juniperus virginiana), bald cypress (Taxodium disti-chum) (Coniferales), and a palm, viz. miniature date palm(Phoenix roebelinii) (Palmae), to be anomalies, and most likelypoor hosts for this pest. Some of the plants that serve as hostsare herbaceous, rather than woody, perennials, e.g., Spanish-needles (Bidens alba), coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) andragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia). These plants probably serveas hosts only when they are older with relatively fibrous stems.

The plant families Fabaceae and Myrtaceae had the larg-est number of hosts, with 33 and 30 species, respectively. Oth-er plant families with at least 10 host species were: Clusiaceae,Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, Moraceae, Rubiaceae, Sapindace-ae, and Sapotaceae (Table 2). The frequency of plant speciesof particular families as hosts may be at least partly a functionof their frequency in the landscape and/or the number ofspecies of the family that occur in southern Florida. Suscepti-ble species in some plant families are limited to those belong-ing to only one or to a few genera. For example, the familyMoraceae is poorly represented in the native flora of south-ern Florida. However, many exotics species of this family, es-pecially of the genus Ficus, are grown in the area. Several sitescontained diverse species of Ficus, of which 18 different spe-cies were found to be hosts. Thus, although Moraceae wasone of the families with a relatively high number of hosts,about 95 percent of the host species were of one genus, Ficus.

The relatively high representation of species of Ficus ashosts could also be an example of “observer effect”: once thatit is recognized that a genus or family contains several hosts,species of these taxa may become targets of relatively greaterscrutiny, resulting in a disproportionate representation ofthem in the host list.

Table 3. Partial list of plant species that were highly susceptible to lobate lacscale, Paratachardina lobata, in southern Florida 2002-2006, arranged byplant family.

AnacardiaceaeBrazilian-pepper, Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi

Aquifoliaceaeyaupon holly, Ilex vomitoria Aiton

Chrysobalanaceaecocoplum, Chrysobalanus icaco L.

MyrsinaceaeFlorida myrsine, Rapanea punctata (Lamarck) Lundell

Myricaceaewax-myrtle, Myrica cerifera L.

Myrtaceaeredberry stopper, Eugenia confusa de Candollecajeput, Melaleuca quinquenervia (Cavanilles) S. T. Blake

Moraceaestrangler fig, Ficus aurea Nuttallshort-leaved fig, F. citrifolia Millerweeping fig, F. benjamina L.Indian laurel, F. microcarpa L.f.

Oxalidaceaecarambola, Averrhoa carambola L.

Rubiaceaefirebush, Hamelia patens Jacquinwild-coffee, Psychotria nervosa Swartzprivet-leaf wild-coffee, P. ligustrifolia (Northrop) Millspaughvelvetleaf wild-coffee, P. sulzneri Small

Sapindaceaelychee, Litchi chinensis Sonnerat

Fig. 2. A wax-myrtle, Myrica cerifera, infested with lobate lac scale.

Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 119: 2006. 407

The results of this study place lobate lac scale among themost polyphagous scale insects known, and its host range willcertainly be expanded when records are added from the Ba-hamas (Pemberton, unpublished) and other localities whereit might spread. Its wide host range is typical of a cosmopoli-tan insect, since adaptation to a wide range of host plants in-creases the chance that the insect may be moved on a plant toa new region, and can survive on hosts in the new locality. Forexample, according to records of soft scales (Coccidae) com-piled by Ben-Dov et al. (2004), the brown soft scale (Coccushesperidum L.), hemispherical scale (Saissetia coffeae (Walker)),and nigra scale (Parasaissetia nigra Nietner) are each reportedon 300 or more host plant species. The host range of C. hes-peridum is the highest of these at 440 species. In the armoredscale family, Diaspididae, 300 or more host plant species arereported for oleander scale (Aspidiotus nerii Bouché), lataniascale (Hemiberlesia lataniae (Signoret)), lesser snow scale (Pin-naspis strachani (Cooley)), and white peach scale (Pseudaula-caspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti)) (Ben-Dov et al., 2004).The host range of H. lataniae, with 370 species, is the highestof these according to the Ben-Dov et al. (op. cit.), but Dzied-zicka (1989) cited by Miller and Davidson (2005) indicatedthat this scale insect occurs on more than 600 host plants.

McKenzie (1956) suggested that H. lataniae could live on anywoody plant except oaks and certain conifers, but probablythe maximum host range for any phytophagous insect in-cludes no more than several hundred different plant species.

Fig. 3. A dense infestation of lobate lac scale on the stem of a wax-myrtle.

Fig. 4. A wax-myrtle killed by a severe infestation of lobate lac scale.

Fig. 5. A hedge with a yaupon holly, Ilex vomitoria, killed by a severe lobatelac scale infestation.

408 Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 119: 2006.

Even compared to the host range of these highly poly-phagous scale insects, that of the lobate lac scale is remark-able when it is considered that all of the cosmopolitan insectsmentioned above have been known as pests for more than acentury, and have been studied in many countries with differ-ent flora. Additionally, some widespread, highly polyphagousspecies are so variable that they may actually be complexes ofmultiple species, as has been suggested for A. nerii and H. la-taniae (Miller and Davidson, 2005). If so, each of the separatespecies could be expected to have a narrower host range thanits species complex, with probably some overlap occurring. Incontrast, lobate lac scale was undoubtedly established insouthern Florida from a very small population, and almostcertainly represents a single species.

In conclusion, lobate lac scale is among the most highlypolyphagous, invasive scale insect species known to science.With its ability to live on an extraordinarily large and diversearray of plant species, and its propensity to inflict seriousdamage to many of its hosts, it is a significant threat to plantlife throughout southern Florida and perhaps beyond.

Acknowledgments

We thank Michael Bromet, Sergio Gallo, Nancy Miller, andSebastian Ortiz (UF, FLREC) for field assistance. We also thankthe following for their collaboration on many aspects of thiswork and particularly for calling our attention to plants infestedwith lobate lac scale: John Cannon (Stiles Landscape Co., Ft.Lauderdale), Karylynne Griffiths (USDA, APHIS, PPQ, Ft. Lau-derdale), Chris Griffiths (Horticultural Solutions, Inc., Ft. Lau-derdale), Way Hoyt (Tree Trimmers Associates, Ft. Lauderdale),Andrew Southerland (present address, Department of Entomol-ogy, University of California, Davis), Laura Tooley (FlamingoGardens, Ft. Lauderdale), Benoit Jonckheere (Fairchild Tropi-cal Botanic Garden) and Jeanette Wofford (Cooper City PublicWorks Department). Mark Garland and Richard Weaver, bothbotanists with DPI, confirmed plant identifications. We grateful-ly acknowledge support for this research by a Cooperative Agree-ment, “Biological Control of Invasive Species” between theUniversity of Florida, IFAS, and the United States Department ofAgriculture, Agricultural Research Service, and a grant from theEndowed Research Fund, Florida Nursery, Growers and Land-scape Association.

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