Recap of February 2025 First Friday with Florida First Detector
This month, we talked about Invasive Scale Insects on Ornamental plants. We looked at a few recently detected invasive scales in Florida as well as identification of species commonly found in Florida on ornamental plants. Scale insects can be challenging to identify! Closely related species may require a technique called slide mounting for proper ID. This is often best left to the experts. When in doubt, submitting a sample is the best strategy.
Bamboo pit scale, Bambusaspis minuta, is one of our more recent invasive scale insects detected in Florida. It is native to Asia but was found in Florida in 2024 in two counties. This species specializes on bamboo. We are still monitoring the distribution throughout the state and the impacts it could potential have on bamboo throughout the state.
Crapemyrtle bark scale, Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae, is a type of felt scale. The species is native to Asia and was first detected in the US in Texas in 2004. It was first found in Florida in 2021 in the panhandle. Must like the bamboo pit scale, we are still learning about where it has spread in the state. So far, it has only been found feeding on crapemyrtles in the US, which is a common landscape plant. Crapemyrtle bark scale can cause branch dieback, plant stunting, reduced flowering and some unsightly sooty mold.
Phantasma scale, Fiorinia phantasma, is another species that was found in FL in the last few years. In 2018, this species was seen in Miami-Dade and it has since spread to additional counties in the state. Phantasma scale is an armored scale. It is a pest of palm trees and several other ornamental plants. High levels of infestation can lead to leaf chlorosis and early drop, plant stunting and even death. Another related species, Snout Scale (Fiorinia proboscidaria), was found in Florida in 2013. This species is native to Asia and is a pest of ornamental plants but also is a pest of citrus. Telling the difference between these species is challenging and requires slide mounting by experts.
Resources on Invasive Scale Insects on Ornamental Plants
- UF EDIS Guide to Scale Insect Identification
- UF EDIS Ask IFAS Resources on Scale Insects
- Snout Scale Pest Alert
- Phantasma Scale Pest Alert
- Crape Myrtle Bark Scale Pest Alert
- Bamboo Pit Scale Pest Alert
- Scale Insect ID Tools (Website currently under construction and may be unavailable)
Want to watch the recording?
What is the upcoming schedule?
We are meeting online via Zoom from 12:00PM-1:00PM on the First Friday of every month from Sept 2022-Aug 2025. Maybe longer too! Please visit this blog for registration information and the upcoming schedule for Sept. 2024-2025.
Questions?
Contact Dr. Morgan Pinkerton, morgan0402@ufl.edu
Or
Visit the Florida First Detector Website
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