Florida's cycads face new scale battle

After battling the cycad Aulacaspis scale for the last decade, Florida foliage growers must tackle a new pest, the Poliaspis cycad scale (PCS).

PCS was recorded for the first time in Florida in May. The last U.S. record of PCS was in 1993 when it was found in a private cycad collection in Orange County, Calif.

Hosts include Cycas circinalis, C. revoluta, Dioon edule, Gaultheria depressa and G. rupestris.

Field identification may be difficult because PCS closely resembles cycad Aulacaspis scale and false oleander scale. The females of all three species are oyster-shell shaped and white with a yellow-brown exuviae. But the male PCS lacks ridges on the white wax cover, unlike the other two species.

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For more: Greg Hodges, Division of Plant Industry, (352) 372-3505; hodgesg@doacs.state.fl.us.