(Bouché, 1833)
Diagnosis
In life, scale cover of adult female almost circular, 1.5-2.0 mm diameter; nearly flat, white; with yellow or gold submarginal to marginal exuviae AUROL2.jpg . Scale cover of male smaller than that of female, elongate, parallel-sided, white and tricarinate with yellow terminal exuviae AUROL4.jpg . Exposed body of adult female elongate, about 1.0 mm long, with swollen prosoma, orange or dark red-brown, usually mottled (Gill, 1997) AUROL3.jpg . Adult males are winged (Ghauri, 1962; Kosztarab, 1996).
Body of slide-mounted adult female with quadrate, swollen prosoma; lateral tubercles moderate to slight AUROS.jpg . Pygidium with median lobes zygotic, without any setae or gland spines between their bases; gland spines and macroducts absent from thorax and head; with three or four submedian macroducts on each side of pygidial segment VI; and only 4 rows of submarginal macroducts on abdominal segments III - VI AUROP.jpg . Usually on Rosaceae; does not feed on grasses.
Host range
Aulacaspis rosae has been recorded from hosts belonging to the plant family Rosaceae (Borchsenius, 1966); in California it is particularly common on Rubus (Gill, 1997). Hosts include species of: Agrimonia, Cycas, Dianthus, Hydrangea, Laurus nobilis, Muehlenbeckia, Pyrus, Rosa, Rubus spp., Rubus idaeus and other Rosaceae.
Affected plant stages: vegetative growing, flowering and fruiting stages
Affected plant parts: on stems AUROL1.jpg , occasionally on leaves
Biology and ecology
There are conflicting reports on the biology of A. rosae, which seems to vary considerably from place to place (Gill, 1997). Kozár, 1990b, describes it as a bisexual species. Each female lays 50-150 eggs (Bazarov and Smelev, 1971). One to four generations per year have been reported (Kosztarab and Kozár, 1988; Kozár, 1990b), and overwintering as eggs in the USA (Davidson and Peairs, 1966) or in all stages in Europe (Bénassy, 1961; Kosztarab and Kozár, 1978).
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
Heavy infestations of ornamental plants makes them unsightly, due to white scales coating the stems AUROL4.jpg .
Economic impact
This species was listed as a pest of deciduous fruit trees of world importance by Kozár, 1990b. It is primarily a pest of rose, but also seriously damages Ribes and Rubus species (Kozár, 1990b; Kosztarab, 1996). Heavy infestation of roses can kill them (Kosztarab and Kozár, 1988). Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998, describe A. rosae as sometimes a pest. Foldi, 2001, lists the species as an economically significant pest in France. In Poland it threatens natural plant communities (Lagowska and Golan, 2002). Charles and Henderson, submitted, record A. rosae as a pest on economically important plants in New Zealand. In Chile it is a primary pest on Rubus silvaticus and cultivated mulberries. It is an occasional pest of ornamental roses in some parts of the USA, especially in damp, shady locations. Heavy infestations may occur near the crown of the host, and can weaken or kill the plant (Gill, 1997).
Detection and inspection methods
Examine the stems of roses and other hosts for white scale covers.
Phytosanitary protection
Aulacaspis rosae is mentioned on quarantine lists (Burger and Ulenberg, 1990).
Natural enemies
The species below were listed by Kosztarab and Kozár, 1988.
Parasitoids:
- Adelencyrtus aulacaspidis
- Aphytis longiclavae
- Aphytis mytilaspidis
- Aphytis proclia
- Arrhenophagus chionaspidis, in Hungary
- Blastothrix sericea
- Coccobius notatus
- Encarsia berlesei
- Encarsia fasciata
- Metaphycus pretiosus
- Pteroptrix bicolor
- Pteroptrix macropedicellata
- Thomsonisca amathus
- Xystus erythrocephalus
- Zaomma lambinus
Distribution
See Aulacaspis rosae distribution.
Microscopic examination of slide-mounted adult females is required for authoritative identification to species.
Aulacaspis thoracica (Robinson) (A. rosarum Borchsenius is a synonym) is similar to A. rosae, especially in the field AULTHOL1.jpg; however, it has rows of submedian dorsal ducts on abdominal segment II that are absent from A. rosae AUROS.jpg. In pre-ovipositiion/early ovipositing females the lateral tubercles are often more pronounced and the prosoma appears more 'square' (with sides nearer parallel) in A. thoracica AULTHOL2.jpg than in A. rosae AUROL3.jpg . Aulacaspis thoracica has been recorded from St Helena, India (Karnataka), Singapore, Indonesia (Java), China (Chendu, Sichuan), Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Cook Is, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, USA (Hawaii) and French Polynesia (Gambier Is) (Williams and Watson, 1988, The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK). Charles and Henderson, submitted, record it as a pest on economically important plants in New Zealand. It has been recorded feeding on hosts from six plant families: Bignoniaceae, Cycadaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lauraceae, Moringaceae and Rosaceae (Nakahara, 1981; Williams and Watson, 1988). The colour of the exuviae can be pale or dark, and they can be near centre or to one edge of the scale cover AULTHOL1.jpg (R.C. Henderson, Landcare Research (New Zealand), pers. comm.).
In the field, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona could be confused with A. rosae (Gill, 1997), being similar in life (although the exuviae are not marginal in P. pentagona) and occurring on the same hosts.
Comments
Aulacaspis rosae is a subtropical species that may have originated in Asia. It has become widespread as a result of transport of infested plant material (mainly Rosaceae) between countries.
Europe
Austria: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Bulgaria: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Cyprus: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Denmark: present, no further details (Gertsson, 2001)
Finland: present, no further details (Gertsson, 2001)
Former Czechoslovakia: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Former USSR: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Central European Territory: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998
East Siberia: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Far East: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Kazakhstan: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Middle Asia: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
South European Territory: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998))
Transcaucusas: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
West Siberia: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
France: present, no further details (Foldi, 2001)
Germany: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Hungary: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Italy: present, no further details (Longo et al., 1995)
Sardinia: present, no further details (Longo et al., 1995)
Sicily: present, no further details (Longo et al., 1995)
Norway: present, no further details (Gertsson, 2001)
Poland: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Portugal
Azores: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Madeira Is: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Romania: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Spain: present in Almería, Coruña, Gerona, Grenada, Lugo, Madrid, Murcia, Orense, Pontevedra and Toledo (Amparo Blay Golcoechea, 1993)
Balearic Is: present (Amparo Blay Golcoechea, 1993)
Canary Is: present, no further details (Amparo Blay Golcoechea, 1993)
Sweden: present in the south (Gertsson, 2001)
Switzerland: present (Kozár et al., 1994; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
United Kingdom: widespread, occasionally a pest (C.P. Malumphy, Central Science Laboratory, UK, pers. comm.)
Channel Is (Guernsey): The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
England: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Scotland: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Asia
China
Fujian: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Guangdong: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Hainan: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Inner Mongolia: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Jiangsu: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Jiangxi: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Shaanxi: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Shanxi: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Xizang: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
Zhejiang: present, no further details (Tao, 1999)
India: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Iran: present, no further details (Seghatoleslami, 1977; Nakahara, 1982)
Iraq: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Israel: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Japan: present, no further details (Kawai, 1980; Tao, 1999)
Korea: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Pakistan: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Philippines: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Taiwan: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Turkey: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Africa
Cape Verde: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Congo Democratic Republic: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Egypt: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Mauritius: present, no further details (Williams and Williams, 1988)
North Africa: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
South Africa: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Tanzania: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Western Hemisphere
Argentina: abundant in the north (Claps et al., 2001a)
Buenos Aires: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Jujuy: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Salta: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Brazil: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Minas Gerais: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Canada: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Central America: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Chile: widespread the length of Chile (Claps et al., 2001a)
Colombia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Kondo, 2001)
Costa Rica: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Dominican Republic: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Guatemala: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
El Salvador: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Jamaica: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Kondo, 2001)
Peru: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Puerto Rico: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
USA: widepread in continental USA (Nakahara, 1982)
California: widespread (Gill, 1997)
District of Colombia: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Tennessee: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Venezuela: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Oceania
Australia: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
New South Wales: present, no further details (CSIRO, 2001)
Queensland: present, no further details (CSIRO, 2001)
Tasmania: present, no further details (CSIRO, 2001)
Victoria: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Bonin Is: present (Nakahara, 1982; Beardsley, 1966)
New Caledonia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
New Zealand: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Charles and Henderson, submitted)