South African Cycads at Risk:Aulacaspis yasumatsui(Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Diaspididae) in South Africa

Abstract

The scale insect Aulacaspis yasumatsui is native to Southeast Asia and a major pest of cycad (Cycadales) plants. Due to an increase in worldwide trading of cycads, A. yasumatsui has spread globally and has become a major threat to many cultivated and native cycads worldwide. In this study we report formally, for the first time, A. yasumatsui infesting cycads in South Africa. This scale insect was observed infesting cycads in three provinces in South Africa, namely, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo. Its identification was based on morphology and nucleotide sequences of three gene regions. Although more common and damaging on non-native Cycas species, its presence on some native South African Encephalartos species is of concern and effort should be made to control the spread and impact of this pest in the country.

Biological Invasions in South Africa’s Urban Ecosystems: Patterns, Processes, Impacts, and Management

“…Cats have devastating effects on native biodiversity worldwide (Hagen and Kumschick 2018), and South Africa's feral and domestic cats appear to be no different. Cats on the urban edge have been shown to have a significant impact on adjoining biodiverse areas in the Table Mountain National Park (George 2010;Morling 2014).…”

Predicting the potential distributions of the invasive cycad scaleAulacaspis yasumatsui(Hemiptera: Diaspididae) under different climate change scenarios and the implications for management

“…At present, cycads are popular landscape plants in tropical and subtropical areas because they are long-lived and require little maintenance ( Bailey, Chang & Lai, 2011 ). However, many cycad species, such as Cycad micronesica , are facing extinction in the wild due to insect pests (e.g., the cycad blue butterfly) ( Wu et al, 2010 ) and microbial pathogens ( Nesamari et al, 2015 ). The cycad aulacaspis scale (CAS), Aulacaspis yasumatsui Takagi (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), is one of the serious pest of cycads ( Giorgi & Vandenberg, 2012 ).…”

First Report ofAulacaspis yasumatsui(Hemiptera: Diaspididae) in Mexico

“…From Oct to Dec of 2015, we collected specimens at 7 locations in the city of Tapachula and 2 locations in Playa Linda, Chiapas State, near the Mexico-Guatemala border. Female specimens were slide mounted following Williams & Granara de Willink (1992) and identified using published taxonomic keys (Suh & Ji 2009;Takagi & De Faveri 2009;Nesamari et al 2015). Samples were identified initially at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) and subsequently verified by the National Centre of Phytosanitary Reference (SENASICA; Certificate 83631).…”