Improving Bio-security in the United Kingdom Overseas Territories: Identification service for invasive alien invertebrate plant pests 2015-17 Dr Chris Malumphy & Sharon Reid Fig. 1 Healthy Caicos pines (Pinus caribaea var. bahamensis) on the left and dead pines on the right in the Turks and Caicos Islands, killed by the non-native and pine-specific pine tortoise scale (Toumeyella parvicornis). The endemic Caicos pine, National tree of TCI, is under severe threat of extinction © C. Malumphy Fera Science Ltd. National Agri-Food Innovation Campus Sand Hutton, York, UK YO41 1LZ 1 POTENTIAL THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY AND AGRICULTURE IN THE UKOTs IDENTIFIED DURING 2015-17 © C. Malumphy © C. Malumphy Fig. 2 Lobate lac scale Paratachardina pseudolobata is a threat to all the UKOTs within the Caribbean and to OTs with tropical climates elsewhere. It is suspected to be native to Asia and has recently spread widely in the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos Islands, both in natural and anthropogenic habitats. Samples were collected from Amyris elemifera, Annona reticulata, A. squamosa, Brysonima lucida, Chrysobalanus icaco, Conocarpus erectus var. sericeus, Guettarda krugii, Hibiscus brittonianus, H. rosa-sinensis, Laurus nobilis, Mangifera indica, Pimenta dioica, Psidium guajava and Syzygium samarangense. New host species are highlighted in bold and Malpighiaceae is recorded here as a new host family. Hibiscus brittonianus is endemic to the Bahamas archipelago. The full impact is yet to be determined as this is a recent arrival. Lobate lac scale has also recently been found in BVI. © C. Malumphy © C. Malumphy Fig. 3 A fluted scale Crypticerya genistae, native to South America, is spreading in the Caribbean and represents a potential threat to all the UKOTs in the region. It is common in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and specimens suspected to represent this species were also identified from the Cayman Islands for the first time this year. Samples were received from Acacia choriophylla, Bidens alba, Chamaecrista chapmonii, Coccoloba uvifera, Corchorus sp., Euphorbia blodgettii, Jacquinia keyensis, Savia bahamensis and Tridax procubens, and suspected from Capsicum chinense, Eugenia foetida, Lysiloma latisiliquum and Myrica cerifera. Most of these plants are new host records. 2 © Fera © Fera Fig. 4 South African pit scale Planchonia stentae Fig. 5 A soft scale insect Protopulvinaria found for the first time in the Turks and Caicos longivalvata found on Malay rose apple Syzygium Islands, on Cassia sp. and Lantana involucrata; malaccense, new for the Cayman Islands; polyphagous, feeding on plants belonging to 15 polyphagous pest, feeding on plants belonging to families. 13 families, including several crops. © Jorge Peña and Rita Duncan, University of Florida © Frank Peairs, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org Fig. 6 Red palm mite Raoiella indica is a pest of Fig. 7 Western flower thrips Frankliniella palms, native to Asia which is becoming occidentalis is an important pest in agriculture, established throughout the Caribbean. The native to the Southwestern US.. It was intercepted invasion of this species is the biggest mite in the Cayman Islands on imported Alstroemeria, explosion ever observed in the Americas. Aster, Bellis, Chrysanthemum, Rosa, Scaveola and Samples were received from BVI and TCI. Zantedeschia © Fera © Ted C. MacRae 2013 Fig. 8 Lesser snow scale Pinnaspis strachani was Fig. 9 Seagrape flatid planthopper Petrusa found on Hibiscus rosa-sinensis in the Cayman epilepsis is very common in TCI and this year was Islands on which it frequently causes dieback recorded on Coccoloba, Ernodea, Eugenia, and mortality. It is polyphagous, feeding on Lantana, Randia, Tabebuia and unspecified plants belonging to 84 families. shrubs. It feeds on many native plants. 3 Fig. 10 Croton scale Phalacrococcus Fig. 11 Solanum whitefly Aleurotrachelus howertoni continues to spread in the trachoides has been found on in the Cayman Cayman Islands and was recorded from Islands and TCI on the crops Capsicum annuum Carica papaya, Coccoloba uvifera, Codiaeum and Solanum lycopersicum, and on native plants variegatum, Eugenia uniflora and Ficus. It has Coccoloba uvifera and Eugenia foetida. It has also also recently been found in BVI. recently been found in BVI. Fig. 12 Ehrhorn's palm mealybug Palmicultor Fig. 13 Mango scale Radionaspis indica is new for palmarum is recorded from the Cayman the Cayman Islands. It is highly cryptic and often Islands for the first time; it is oligophagous on overlooked although it is increasing in importance Arecaceae, and can kill germinating palms. as a pest of mango in Florida Fig. 14 Hemispherical scale Saissetia coffeae Fig. 15 Coconut whitefly Aleurodicus pulvinatus is was found in large numbers on a range of widespread in TCI and a serious pest of coconut plants in TCI; the specimen in the picture has and ornamental palms. been parasitized and there are 5 emergence holes from which the adult wasps escaped 4 © Lauren Banks - Backbone Valley Nursery © Nancy Woodfield Pascoe - NPTVI Fig. 16 Agave snout weevil (Scyphophorus Fig. 17 Agave snout weevil has wiped out the acupunctatus) is currently the most important endemic Agave missionum plants in most areas of terrestrial invasive alien species in the British the BVI, changing the landscape Virgin Islands © Gary R. McClellan © Chris Malumphy Fig. 18 Sri Lankan weevil Myllocerus Fig. 19 Stellate scale Ceroplastes stellifer is undecimpustulatus undatus is a polyphagous common in BVI and a frequent pest of pest, first detected in the Cayman Islands in ornamental and native plants 2016; it poses a major threat to all UKOTs in the Caribbean © Nancy Woodfield Pascoe - NPTVI © Chris Malumphy Fig. 20 Huge populations of cactus scale Diaspis Fig. 21 Papaya whitefly Trialeurodes floridensis, echinocacti were found infesting native cacti in found in the BVI for the first time, is an economic the BVI pest of cassava and papaya 5 © Arab Pest Control © urjsa Fig. 22 The highly invasive Argentine ant Fig. 23 Heterobostrichus sp. is a wood-boring Linepithema humile was found in the Falkland beetle that was found on wooden pallets in the Islands infesting a yacht that had arrived from Cayman Islands Australia © Chris Malumphy © Chris Malumphy Fig. 25 The Kew bug Insignorthezia insignis, a Fig. 24 Red wax scale Ceroplastes rubens polyphagous pest, was found on native plants was found on the threatened endemic plant in the BVI Calyptranthes kiaerskovii in the BVI © Chris Malumphy © Lyle J Buss, University of Florida Fig. 26 Citrus whitefly Dialeurodes citri , native Fig. 27 Red-banded thrips Selenothrips to Asia but now widespread in the tropics and rubrocinctus was found on Terminalia in the subtropics, was found on Citrus in the Cayman Cayman Islands Islands 6 Contents 1.0 Executive summary …………………………………………………………………………………… 8 2.0 Background ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 10 3.0 Introductions and Aims ……………………………………………………………………………. 10 4.0 Methods …………………………………………………………………………………….……………. 11 4.1 Service launch and publicity ……………………………..…..…......................... 11 4.2 Project delivery …………………………………………………………………………………. 11 5.0 Results ………………………………………………………………………………………..………….. 11 5.1 The number of samples received and identifications made ……….…….. 11 5.2 Summary of findings ………………………………….…………………………………….. 11 5.3 New geographical and host records, and potential plant health threats ....……………..……………………………………………………………………………. 12 5.3.1 British Virgin Islands …………………………………………………………………….. 12 5.3.2 Cayman Islands ……………………………………………………………………………. 14 5.3.3 Falkland Islands …………………………………………………………………………… 16 5.3.3 Saint Helena ...…………....……………………………….…….………………………. 17 5.3.4 Turks and Caicos Islands ...……………………………….…….…………………… 18 5.4 Bio-security advice provided ............……………………………………………….. 19 5.5 Scientific publications ……………………………………………………………………… 19 5.6 Building diagnostic capacity in the UKOTs ……………………………………….. 20 5.7 Further services requested by UKOTs ……………………………………………… 20 6.0 Conclusions …………………………………………………………………………………..………. 21 7.0 Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………………. 22 8.0 References ……………………………………………………………………………….…………… 22 9.0 Appendices ……………………………………………………………………….…….……………. 23 9.1 Summary of invertebrate identifications 2015-2017 7 1.0 Executive summary Biodiversity in the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) is recognised as being under threat from invasive alien plant pests. The UK Government wishes to ensure that the rich environmental assets of the Overseas Territories are protected. The Overseas Territories Biodiversity Strategy has the overarching objective: “to enable the UK and Overseas Territory Governments to meet their international obligations for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the Overseas Territories.” Preventing the establishment of invasive alien species in the UKOTs is a strategic priority. Rapid and accurate identification of potential invasive alien species is the essential first step. The Plant Protection Programme (PPP) at Fera Science Ltd. provides diagnostic and training services for the England and Wales Plant Health Service, and has a wealth of experience and expertise in the identification of all plant-feeding insects, mites and nematodes. The Invertebrate Identification Team within the PPP has led a Defra-funded project to provide an identification service for invasive invertebrate plant pests for the UKOTs since November 2009. During 2015-17, six territories (Ascension Island, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Cayman Islands,