(Signoret, 1882)
Diagnosis
Scale cover of adult female in life narrow and elongate, shiny dark brown to black, sometimes covered with a light bloom, convex and unusually elongate (about 8 times as long as wide), with terminal yellow exuviae ISCLOL3.jpg . Males are unknown (Davidson and Miller, 1990).
Body of slide-mounted adult female membranous and very elongate ISCLOS.jpg . Pygidium with dorsal lattice-work pattern of sclerotization; median lobes well separated, with a pair of marginal setae situated between them ISCLOP.jpg . Ben-Dov, 1974, gave a detailed description.
Host range
Ischnaspis longirostris is a polyphagous species that has been recorded from hosts belonging to 63 genera belonging to 31 plant families (Davidson and Miller, 1990). Palms are common hosts of this insect. Hosts include species of: Acacia, Agave, Aloe, Annona, Areca, Artocarpus, Carapa, Chrysalidocarpus, Cinnamomum, Citrus, Cocos nucifera, Coffea, Corylus, Dictyosperma, Diospyros kaki, Dracaena, Elaeis guineensis, Ficus, Garcinia, Gardenia, Genipa, Grammatophyllum, Howea, Inocarpus, Ixora, Jasminum, Justicia, Ligustrum, Litchi, Magnolia, Mangifera indica, Manilkara sapota, Mimusops, Monstera, Mucuna, Musa, Nephelium litchi, Nypa, Palmae, Pandanus, Persea americana, Phoenix, Plumeria, Prunus armeniaca, Psidium guajava, Psychotria, Raphia, Strychnos, Swietenia and Ziziphus.
Affected plant stages: vegetative growing, flowering and fruiting stages
Affected plant parts: usually on leaves ISCLOL2.jpg ; occasionally also on bark and fruit
Biology and ecology
Ischnaspis longirostris is a tropical species; reproduction is continuous and is by parthenogenesis (Vesey-Fitzgerald, 1940; Brown, 1965). Males are unknown (Davidson and Miller, 1990). Each female lays 20-30 eggs; the crawler stage lasts three days (Vesey-Fitzgerald, 1940). Crawlers are the primary dispersal stage and move to new areas of the plant or are dispersed by wind or animal contact. Mortality due to abiotic factors is high in this stage. Dispersal of sessile adults and eggs occurs through human transport of infested plant material.
Symptoms
In spite of their small size, the dark, thread-like scales of I. longirostris are often conspicuous when present in large numbers (Williams and Watson, 1988). Toxic saliva injected during feeding can cause the development of chlorotic spots on infested leaves ISCLOL1.jpg .
Economic impact
Ischnaspis longirostris was regarded as a principal armoured scale insect pest in the USA by Beardsley and Gonzalez, 1975. It attacks several economically important hosts in Brazil (Claps et al., 2001a) and in Florida (Dekle, 1976). In Malaysia, it infests the leaves of oil palm (Chua and Wood, 1990). Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998, described this species as a pest. Ischnaspis longirostris can be an occasional serious pest in greenhouses and tropical gardens (Davidson and Miller, 1990). In India (Karnataka), Ananda Rao and Chacko, 1977, recorded low levels of infestation by I. longirostris on Coffea canephora and to a lesser extent on other Coffea species. Ischnaspis longirostris was abundant on coffee in Mexico, and regarded as a potential pest of coffee by Ibarra Nunez, 1990.
Detection and inspection methods
Examine leaves, especially the undersides, for shiny dark brown to black scale covers that are unusually elongate (about 8 times as long as wide), with terminal yellow exuviae.
Phytosanitary risk
This species has the potential to become a pest of palms and greenhouse plants (Dekle, 1976).
Natural enemies
Predators:
- Chilocorus distigma, introduced to Seychelles
- Chilocorus nigrita, introduced to Seychelles
Distribution
See Ischnaspis longirostris distribution.
Microscopic examination of slide-mounted adult females is required for authoritative identification to species.
Comments
Ischnaspis longirostris is a tropicopolitan species, probably of African origin. It is now common in glasshouses in temperate areas (Williams and Watson, 1988). It used to occur under glass in California, but has been eradicated (Gill, 1997).
Europe
Denmark: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Former Czechoslovakia: under glass (Nakahara, 1982)
Former USSR: under glass (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
France: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Germany: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Ireland: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Italy: under glass (Longo et al., 1995)
Spain
Canary Is: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Sweden: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
United Kingdom: occasionally found under glass in botanical gardens (C.P. Malumphy, Central Science Laboratory, UK, pers. comm.)
England: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Asia
India: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Karnataka: present (Ananda Rao and Chacko, 1977)
Kerala: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Indonesia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Irian Jaya: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Java: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Japan: present, no further details (Kawai, 1980; Nakahara, 1982)
Malaysia
West Malaysia: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a; Nakahara, 1982)
Philippines: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Singapore: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Sri Lanka: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a; Nakahara, 1982)
Taiwan: present, no further details (Wong et al., 1999)
Africa
Cameroon: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Cape Verde Is: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Congo Democratic Republic: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Egypt: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Eritrea: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Ethiopia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Ghana: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Guinea: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Kenya: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Madagascar: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Mauritius: present, no further details (Williams and Williams, 1988)
Mozambique: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Nigeria: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Principe: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Réunion: present, no further details (Williams and Williams, 1988)
Sao Tomé: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Seychelles: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Sierra Leone: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
South Africa: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Tanzania: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Zanzibar: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Uganda: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Zambia: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Zimbabwe: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Western Hemisphere
Antigua: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Argentina: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK (collected 1956)
Bahamas: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Barbados: present, no further details (Bennett and Alam, 1985)
Belize: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
?Bermuda: the only records are very old (Hodgson and Hilburn, 1991)
Brazil: widely distributed (Claps et al., 2001a)
Bahia: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Distrito Federal: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Espírito Santo: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Guanabara: present, no further details (Silva et al., 1968)
Minas Gerais: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Pará: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Paraná: present, no further details (Silva et al., 1968)
Pernambuco: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Rio de Janeiro: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Rio Grande do Sul: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Santa Caterina: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Sao Paulo: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Canada: under glass (Nakahara, 1982)
Colombia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Kondo, 2001)
Costa Rica: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Cuba: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Dominican Republic: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Ecuador: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
El Salvador: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Guadeloupe: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Grenada: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Guyana: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Jamaica: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Martinique: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Mexico: present, no further details (Ibarra Nunez, 1990; Miller, 1996)
Nicaragua: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Panama: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Puerto Rico: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a; Medina Gaud et al., 1987)
St Vincent: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Suriname: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Trinidad: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
USA: under glass in colder areas (Nakahara, 1982)
Connecticut: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
District of Colombia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Florida: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Georgia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Hawaii: widespread (Heu, 2002)
Illinois: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Louisiana: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Massachusetts: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Maryland: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Missouri: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
New Jersey: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
New York: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Ohio: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Oklahoma: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Pennsylvania: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Tennessee: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Wisconsin: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
United States Virgin Is: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Venezuela: present, no further details (Clavijo, 1977; Nakahara, 1982)
Oceania
Australia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Northern Territory: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Queensland: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
South Australia: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Bonin Is: present (Beardsley, 1966; CIE, 1967a; Nakahara, 1982)
Caroline Is: present, no further details (CIE, 1967a)
Cook Is: present (Williams and Watson, 1988)
Fiji: present (Williams and Watson, 1988)
French Polynesia: present, no further details (Reboul, 1976)
Mariana Is: present (Nakahara, 1982)
New Caledonia: present, not further details (Cohic, 1958)
New Guinea: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Palau Is: present (Nakahara, 1982; Beardsley, 1966)
Papua New Guinea: present (Williams and Watson, 1988)
Solomon Is: present (Williams and Watson, 1988)
South Mariana Is: present (Beardsley, 1966)
Tahiti: present, not further details (Cohic, 1958)
Tonga: present (Williams and Watson, 1988)
Vanuatu: present (Williams and Watson, 1988)
Western Samoa: present (Williams and Watson, 1988)