(Comstock, 1883)
Diagnosis
Scale cover of adult female in life 0.5-1.0 mm across, almost hemispherical, often taller than wide, brittle, very black, with black central exuviae MYPERSL1.jpg . Ventral scale well developed. Scale cover of male flat, oval, greyish, with darker submarginal exuviae MYPERL.jpg .
Body of slide-mounted adult female membranous and almost oval except for a sclerotized protruberance on anterior margin of cephalothorax MYPERS.jpg . Pygidium broad (subtended by an angle of more than 90°); four pairs of lobes present, with small fringed plates between them. Paraphyses present both between fourth lobes and lateral to them, those towards the midline 4-5x as long as a median lobe MYPERP.jpg .
Host range
Mycetaspis personata is a polyphagous species that has been recorded from hosts belonging to 27 plant families (Borchsenius, 1966). El-Minshawy and Osman, 1974, successfully reared M. personata in the laboratory on pumpkin, Hedera helix and Ficus nitida. Hosts include species of: Ageratum, Anacardium, Annona, Brachychiton, Bromeliaceae, Citrus spp., Cocos nucifera, Dictyosperma, Eugenia caryophyllus, Euonymus, Ficus spp., Garcinia, Gardenia, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Jasminum, Latania, Laurus nobilis, Ligustrum, Mangifera indica, Musa, Myrciaria, Olea europaea, Persea americana, Phoenix, Pyrus communis, Rosa, Sabal, Syzygium aromaticum, Tillandsia and Vitis vinifera.
Affected plant stages: vegetative growing, flowering and fruiting stages
Affected plant parts: on leaves MYPERSL3.jpg and MYPERSL2.jpg
Biology and ecology
Reproduction is sexual in Egypt, where there are 2-3 overlapping generations per year. Each female lays 18-28 eggs (Salama, 1972). The greatest concentrations of scales occur in the shaded interior of the canopy, suggesting that the scales avoid high light intensities (Salama, 1970). In laboratory studies, El-Minshawy and Osman, 1974, found that the adults overwintered, and the sex ratio was 1 male to 2.5 females; the life cycle took 137-179 days at 20-31°C and 60-76% relative humidity, depending on the quality of the host-plant. The immature stages were found to be sensitive to high temperatures and low humidity.
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 heavy infestations, Mycetasis personata can cause early senescence MYPERSL2.jpg and subsequent leaf drop (T. Kondo, pers. comm.).
Economic impact
Mycetaspis personata is a pest of bananas in the neotropics (Chua and Wood, 1990). In Brazil, M. personata occurs on several host-plants of economic importance (Claps et al., 2001a). Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998, describe this species as a dangerous pest. The species has been recorded attacking clove in India (Kerala) (Nair et al., 1978).
Detection and inspection methods
Examine leaves of the hosts listed above for almost hemispherical scale covers, often taller than wide, brittle, very black, each with black central exuviae MYPERSL3.jpg .
Phytosanitary protection
Mycetaspis personata is mentioned on quarantine lists (Burger and Ulenberg, 1990).
Natural enemies
Parasitoids:
- Aphytis chrysomphali, in Egypt
- Signiphora fax
Predators:
- Chrysoperla carnea, in Egypt
Distribution
See Mycetaspis personata distribution.
Microscopic examination of slide-mounted adult females is required for authoritative identification to species.
Mycetaspis apicata (Newstead) could be misidentified as M. personata, but differs in having the sclerotized area on the head being a rounded cone, eyes each modified into a pointed spur, and numerous ventral microducts present near the mouthparts and anterior spiracle. In contrast, M. personata MYPERS.jpg has the sclerotized area on the head forming a somewhat flattened bulge, eyes each represented by an unsclerotized boss, and ventral microducts absent from around the mouthparts and anterior spiracle. Mycetaspis apicata is known from USA (Texas), Mexico, Panama, Argentina (Corrientes), Brazil (Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro), Guyana and Peru on species of Acacia, Albizia, Avicennia, Clusia, Enterolobium, Inga, Magnolia, Pithecellobium, Prosopis, Rollinia and Saccharum officinarum (Claps et al., 2001a; Miller, 1996; Nakahara, 1982; Silva et al., 1968; The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK).
Comments
Mycetaspis personata is a neotropical species that has become widely distributed. It has not been recorded from Australia, or from the Pacific islands. In northern countries it is found only under glass (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998). In spite of the records published by Nakahara, 1982, and Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998, there are no recent records of M. personata in the United Kingdom, and it is not regarded as established there (C.P. Malumphy, Central Science Laboratory, UK, pers. comm.).
Europe
Belgium: under glass (Nakahara, 1982)
Former Czechoslovakia: under glass (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Former USSR: under glass (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
France: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Germany: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Netherlands: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Portugal
Madeira: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Spain
Canary Is: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
United Kingdom: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
England: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Asia
China
Hong Kong: present, not further details (Tao, 1999)
India
Kerala: present, no further details (Nair et al., 1978)
Indonesia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Israel: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Lebanon: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Philippines: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Sri Lanka: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Africa
Cameroon: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Côte d'Ivoire: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Egypt: present, no further details (El-Minshawy et al., 1974a; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Guinea: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Senegal: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Sierra Leone: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
South Africa: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Togo: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Western Hemisphere
Argentina: rare (Claps et al., 2001a)
Entre Rios: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Tucumán: present, no further details (Claps and Terán, 2001; Claps et al., 2001a)
Barbados: present, no further details (Bennett and Alam, 1985)
Brazil: widely distributed (Claps et al., 2001a)
Alagôas: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Guanabara: present, no further details (Silva et al., 1968)
Paraná: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
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 Cateraina: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Sao Paulo: present, no further details (Claps et al., 2001a)
Caribbean Islands: present on most (Nakahara, 1982)
Central America: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Colombia: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Kondo, 2001)
Cuba: present, no further details (Danzig and Pellizzari, 1998)
Guyana: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Honduras: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Jamaica: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Mexico: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982; Miller, 1996)
Peru: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
St Vincent: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
Trinidad: The Natural History Museum collection, London, UK
USA
Florida: present no further details (Nakahara, 1982)
Hawaii: present on Oahu (Heu, 2002)
Venezuela: present, no further details (Nakahara, 1982)