Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni Tozzetti, 1886)

Mifsud, David, Mazzeo, Gaetana, Russo, Agatino & Watson, Gillian W., 2014, The scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of the Maltese Archipelago, Zootaxa 3866 (4), pp. 499-525 : 512

Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni Tozzetti, 1886)

Borg (1922a: 76, 167) wrote about the introduction of this scale to Malta in 1912 with ornamental shrubs brought over from Sicily; early action was taken and the insect was completely eradicated. He also said that “this is a solitary case of an insect parasite introduced in these islands and stamped out at once by human agency before it could spread and become established”. Strangely enough, in the same year Borg (1922b) then provided detailed information on the introduction of this species to Malta, which he first observed in May at Attard and Lija. The infestation was so severe, affecting different host-plants, and much more widespread in both Malta and Gozo, that he even said that probably the insect must have been present in Malta for at least six or seven years. He made no cross reference to what he had written in Borg (1922a); apparently the above-mentioned eradication campaign in 1912 was not as effective as Borg had described. Borg (1932) recorded this species (as Aulacaspis pentagona ) as frequent or common on peach, nectarine, almond, plum, white and black mulberry, paper mulberry, citrus and rose; whereas Saliba (1963) reported the scale as common on almond, citrus, peach and mulberry.

Material examined: MALTA, Marsa, Għammieri , 15.iii.1994, 3 ♀♀ on Geranium sp. , DM ; Lija, 18.iii.1994, 4 ♀♀ on Pelargonium sp. , DM . GOZO, Kercem, Dawara Valley , 16.iii.1994, 1 ♀ on Coprosina sp., DM .