The Status of Introduced Coccids in South Africa in 1917

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THE STATUS OF INTRODUCED COCCIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA IN 1917.

By CHAS. K. BRAIN and ALBERT E. KELLY, Division of Entomology, Pretoria, South Africa.

It will probably be of interest to workers on Coccids in other parts of the world to know which species have been introduced into South Africa and to what extent they have become established. Moreover, since so many of these are constantly found during the inspection of our nurseries, etc., it seems desirable to place on record their known distribution (August, 1917) for future reference. Fifty-five are included in this list, which is considered to be approximately complete. Others, such as Lecanium bitubercidalum, Targ., L. corni, Bouche, Pulvinaria belidae (L), Sign., Diaspis rosae (Bouche), Aspidiotus piri, Licht., and A. ostreaeformis, Curt., have been stopped at the ports of entry, but since these species are not established in the country they are not included. A large number of the records are compiled from the nursery inspection reports of the junior writer. Whilst these are complete for localities in which registered nurseries exist, there may be other parts of the Union where the species is present but from whence no report has been obtained.

Subfamily MONOPHLEBINAE. 1. Icerya purchasi, Mask. Generally distributed throughout the Union but satisfactorily controlled by Vedalia (Novius cardiruilis). This scale often breeds up abundantly on the Witwatersrand until summer is advanced, when Vedalia again gains the upper hand for a month or two. 2. Icerya seychellarum, Westw. Durban (Johannesburg, ex Durban).

Subfamily OETHEZIINAE. 3. Orthezia insignis, Dougl. Cape Peninsula, Port Elizabeth, East London and Natal Coast. Sporadic in Natal midlands (2,000-3,000 ft.).

Subfamily DACTYLOPIINAE. 4. Pseudococcus adonidum (Linn.), Westw. Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria and Johannes- burg. Chiefly a pot-plant pest. •5. Pseudococcus anrilanatus (Mask.). Cape Town, Graaff Reinet, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Richmond, Johannesburg and Pretoria. 6. Pseudococcus bromeliae (Bouche). Eastern Cape Province and Natal Coast. 182 CHAS. K. BRAIN AND ALBERT E. KELLY.

7. Pseudococcus citri, Risso. Although common in most parts of the country the habit of this species is somewhat puzzling. It is prevalent in the Cape Peninsula, but generally confined to nurseries, where it would appear to be Dr. Marchal's variety, Ps. citri var. coleorum, as it is chiefly bad on coleus. In the same locality it is very seldom found on citrus, being replaced by Ps. fragilis, Brain; the most common species in vineyards and gardens is Ps. capensis, Brain. In Natal similar conditions obtain, but the citrus species here is Ps. filamentosus, Ckll., while the most common species in gardens in Durban is Ps. virgatus, Ckll. In Pretoria Ps. citri is occasionally extremely abundant on oranges, but from the majority of the citrus orchards, such as those of Rustenburg, etc., the species is apparently absent. The most common, species in gardens in Pretoria is Ps. burnerae, Brain. 8. Pseudococcus filamentosus, Ckll. Bathurst, Richmond, Pietermaritzburg (citrus), Pretoria (grevillea). 9. Pseudococcus nipae, Mask. Cape Town, Graaff Reinet, Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Johannesburg and Pretoria. Found only on palms in greenhouses, except at Durban,. where it is occasionally found out of doors. 10. Pseudococcus sacckari, Ckll. Zululand, Natal Coast, and Tzaneen (Transvaal). 11. Pseudococcus virgatus, Ckll. Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Pretoria (ex Durban). 12. Tylococcus insolitus (Green). East London, Kingwilliamstown, and Pietermaritzburg. 13. Eriococcus araucariae, Mask. Common in the Cape and Natal and occasionally found in Johannesburg and Pretoria. Subfamily ASTEROLECANIINAE. 14. Asterolecanium bambusae, Bdv. Natal coast and midlands. 15. Asterolecanium variolosum (Ratz.). Cape Peninsula, Elsenburg, Grabouw, Paarl, Simondium, Irene, Johannesburg, Krugersdorp, Newclare and Canada Junction. 16. Cerococcus ornatus, Green. Found on one occasion only on stems of Dovyalis caffra, Harv., and Calodendron capense, Thunb., at Pietermaritzburg. Subfamily COCOINAE. 17. Coccus cacti, Goeze. Botanic Gardens, Cape Town, where it was introduced many years ago. 18. Coccus confusus capensis, Green. May usually be found wherever Opuntia monacaniha is abundant, e.g., in the Cape Peninsula, Albany and surrounding districts, Natal, and occasionally in the Orange Free State. INTRODUCED COCCIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA IN 1917. 183:

19. Coccus indicus, Green. Introduced by the Queensland Prickly Pear Commission in 1913 to destroy Opuntia monacantha. It is now well established in the Cape Peninsula, Komgha,. Natal and Pretoria, and was recently received from Mtunzini in Zululand. Subfamily LECANIINAE. 20. Lecanium hesperidum, Linn. Widely distributed and common. 21. Lecanium elongatum, Sign. Johannesburg and Pretoria. 22. Saissetia hemisphaeriea (Targ.). Cape Town, Grahamstown, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria and Johannesburg (pot plants). 23. Saissetia nigra, Nietn. (S. nigrella, King). Bayville C.P., and Natal coast (on Ficus spp. only). 24. Saissetia oleae, Bern. Cape Peninsula, Ceres, Port Elizabeth, Queenstown, Stellenbosch, Uitenhage, Fort Beaufort, Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Pretoria. 25. Protopulvinaria pyriformis, Ckll. Durban (Pietermaritzburg, ex Durban). Subfamily DIASPINAE. 26. Aspidiotus destructor, Sign. Durban and Inchanga (uncommon). 27. Aspidiotus fimbriatus var. capensis, Newst. Port Elizabeth (on Cycads only). 28. Aspidiotus (Diaspidiotus) forbesi, Johns. Cradock, Pietermaritzburg, Potchefstroom and Bethlehem. 29 Aspidiotus hederae (Vail.), Sign. Widely distributed throughout the Union, and common. 30. Aspidiotus (Hemiberlesea) lataniae, Sign. Generally distributed. 31. Aspidiotus (Hemiberlesea) rapax, Comst. Johannesburg, Louis Trichardt and Pretoria. 32. Aspidiotus (Diaspidiotus) perniciosus, Comst. In most centres an attempt has been made to eradicate this insect as soon as discovered. It has been reported from :—Estcourt, Frere, Hilton Road, Ladysmith, Moorleigh, Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg, Utrecht, Vryheid, Weenen, Winterton, Dundee and Richmond, in Natal; Amersfoort, Benoni, Bethal, Boksburg, Boskop, Bronkhorstspruit, Cullinan, Heidelberg, Johannesburg, Middelburg, Nylstroom, Pretoria, Rayton, Scheerpoort, Standerton and Witbank, in the Transvaal; Kroonatad and Viljoen's Drift, in the Orange Free State. 184 CHAS. K. BEAIN AND ALBERT E. KELLY.

33. Aspidiotus transparens, Green. Natal coast. 34. Aspidioius (Selenaspidus) articulatus, Morgan. Durban and Pietermaritzburg. This is an uncommon scale. Our commonest species of Selenaspidus is silvaticus, Ldgr. 35. Chrysomphalus aumntii, Mask. Widely distributed throughout the Union. 36. Chrysomphalus dietyospermi, Morgan. Cape Town, East London, Kimberley, Kingwilliamstown, Durban, Pietermaritz- burg, Barberton, Johannesburg, Nelspruit, and Pretoria. This species is common only in greenhouses, and whilst it has been found on rose and peach, it has not vet been recorded on citrus in this country. 37. Chrysomphalus ficus, Ashmead. Common in orchards on the Natal Coast and in a few localities in the Transvaal, such as Warmbaths, Eustenburg and Nelspruit. A greenhouse pest along the Cape and Natal coast, and also at Queenstown, Pietermaritzburg, Johannesburg and Pretoria. 38. Chrysomphalus rossi, Mask. Cape Town,* East London, Grahamstown, Queenstown,* Estcourt, Dundee, Durban, Pietermaritzburg, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Krugersdorp, Pietersburg, Bloemfontein. 38a. Chrysomphalus rossi var. greeni, nov. This variety has the brown scale as described and figured by Green in " The Coccidae of Ceylon." East London and Durban on native trees (uncommon). 39. Morganella maskelli (Ckll.). Established in Durban on a number of different host-plants; reported from Pietermaritzburg ; on citrus at Hillary. 40. Diaspis boisduvali, Sign. Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Pretoria (uncommon). 41. Diaspis bromeliae (Kern.). Natal coast, Kingwilliamstown and Pretoria. An uncommon scale, chiefly in greenhouses. 42. Diaspis echinocacti (Bouche). Graaff Reinet and Pearston, C.P., and other places in the Karroo. 43. Diaspis (Aulacaspis) pentagona, Targ. Common in the Western Province of the Cape and often found in most of the larger towns elsewhere in the Union. 44. Pseudaonidia trilobitiformis, Green. Hillary (Durban) on Litchi (probably ex Mauritius). * Eeported, but not well established. INTRODUCED COCCIDS IN SOUTH AFRICA IN 1917. 185 45. Parlatoria. pergandei, Comst. Cape Town, Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Johannesburg and Pretoria (in greenhouses). 46. Parlatoria proteus, Curt. Durban (in greenhouses, uncommon). 47. Parlatoria zizyphi, Lucas. In several orchards near Durban, but not prevalent. 48. Chionaspis simplex, Green, var. Durban (on bamboo). 49. Pinnaspis aspidistrae, Sign. Common in greenhouses. 50. Fiorinia fioriniae, Targ. Cape Town, GraafE Reinet, Grahamstown, Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, Durban, Hillary, Inchanga, Johannesburg (ex coast). In greenhouses. 51. Howardia biclavis, Comst. Durban. 52. Howardia moorsi, Doane & Ferris. Durban Botanic Gardens. 53. Lepidosaphes pinnifortnis, Bouche. Cape Peninsula, Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage, Stellenbosch, Somerset West, Bathurst, East London District, Natal Coast, Grey town, Piet Retief, Pietermaritz- burg, Barberton, Nelspruit (in citrus orchards). Capetown, Durban, Pietermaritz- burg, Uitenhage and Johannesburg (in greenhouses, chiefly on croton and Murraya). 54. Lepidosaphes gloveri, Packard. Port St. Johns, and in four orchards in the Cape Peninsula (Lounsbury, 1896 Report), Stanger and Warmbaths. 55. Ischnaspis longirostris, Sign. East London, Port Elizabeth, Durban, Hillary (Pretoria and Johannesburg, probably ex Durban). Occurs on a number of ornamental plants; at Warmbaths on citrus.

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