Florida Red Scale
Chrysomphalus aonidum
Florida Red Scale
This pest is in New Zealand, and subject to an eradication programme.
Report sightings to your regional council.
General Information
In March 2004 the scale insect was identified at the "Winter House" at the Auckland Domain Gardens and several glasshouses at the nearby Domain Nursery, which supplies the gardens with plants. A joint MAF and Auckland City Council containment programme is believed to have successfully eradicated the FRS. This scale has not been detected alive in unprotected environments in New Zealand.
Monitoring is continuing.
The frost-sensitive insect has a preference for citrus. It has been recorded as a sporadic and occasionally serious pest of citrus when insecticide and biological controls break down. It has been successfully controlled through integrated pest management.
It has a wide host range and is distributed throughout the tropics and sub-tropics, including Australia and the Pacific.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What are the symptoms?
- How does it spread?
- Which countries already have FRS?
- Can FRS be prevented or controlled?
It is a leaf-infesting species, but in high-density infestations it may spread to fruits, stems and trunks, and may cause premature leaf fall and fruit drop and stem dieback.
An infestation appears as dark-purple to reddish-brown or black spots with paler margins, on both surfaces of shaded leaves of the host plant. Heavy infestations cause yellowing of the leaves, followed by defoliation of part or the entire host.
How does it spread?
Each adult female lays about 50-150 eggs over a period of 1-8 weeks. After eggs hatch, the young nymphs or crawlers walk to find suitable feeding sites before settling to a sedentary lifestyle. Development to adult takes 7-16 weeks according to temperature. In tropical conditions such as those experienced in heated greenhouses, breeding is continuous and populations build rapidly.
The young nymphs or crawlers have the ability to disperse several kilometres on air currents. Passing animals or people can also carry the crawlers over great distances. Movement of infested planting material or produce is the main way in which the scale has been introduced to other countries.
Which countries already have FRS?
FRS is a tropical species, apparently native to the Oriental region. It has been dispersed widely in tropical and subtropical parts of the world, mostly in association with the citrus industry. It is present throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, North, Central and South America, the Pacific Islands and Australia. This species occurs in glasshouses in temperate climates in its range.
Can FRS be prevented or controlled?
FRS has a preference for humid environments and cannot tolerate freezing temperatures or heavy rain. Numerous citrus-producing countries have controlled the scale on citrus with insecticides, and effectively with bio-control programmes using parasites. Integrated pest management is an effective control strategy for this pest.
Media Releases
General Documents
- Report on Florida Red Scale (Reproduced from the Crop Protection Compendium – Global Module, 5th Edition. © CAB International, Wallingford, UK, 2003.
- Photos of Florida Red Scale (FRS)
Useful Resources
Page last updated: 22 October 2008