Bombacoccus aguacatae Kondo, 2010

Kondo, Takumasa & Muñoz, Jazmín Adriana, 2016, Scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) associated with avocado crop, Persea americana Mill. (Lauraceae) in Valle del Cauca and neighboring departments of Colombia, Insecta Mundi 2016 (465), pp. 1-24 : 8-9

Bombacoccus aguacatae Kondo

Material studied. Colombia. Valle del Cauca: Alcalá: Finca La Porra , 04°40 ′ 13.1 ″ N, 75°44 ′ 34.3 ″ W, 1395 m, 10.xi.2008, coll. J. Muñoz, ex avocado cv. ‘ Papelillo’ (‘Lorena’), 1 ( UVCO), 1 ( MECP) ; Caicedonia: Finca El Jardín , 04°18 ′ 18.4 ″ N, 75°51 ′ 00.0 ″ W, 1622 m, 16.ii.2009, coll. T. Kondo, ex avocado cv .

‘Papelillo’ (‘Lorena’), 1 ( UVCO).

Distribution. Only known from Colombia ( Kondo 2010).

Remarks. The Cottony avocado scale, B. aguacatae was originally collected in Anserma, department of Caldas, Colombia, on ‘Booth 8’ and ‘Hass’ cultivars ( Kondo 2010). In the present study we additionally collected the species from the ‘Lorena’ cultivar in the department of Valle del Cauca. The insects have been found on tree branches and twigs of three avocado cultivars. Tiny parasitic wasps have been found emerging from the body of old females and the larvae of a species of syrphid fly ( Diptera : Syrphidae ) have been found feeding on the coccid nymphs ( Kondo 2010). The ant Pheidole sp. ( Hymenoptera : Formicidae ) has been found tending the soft scale, and sooty moulds regularly grow on their produced honeydew covering branches, leaves and fruit ( Kondo 2010).

Ceroplastes fl oridensis Comstock

Material studied. Colombia: Valle del Cauca: Alcalá: Finca La Porra , 04°40 ′ 13.1 ″ N, 75°44 ′ 34.3 ″ W, 1395 m, 10.xi.2008, coll. J. Muñoz, ex avocado cv. ‘ Papelillo’ (‘ Lorena’), 2 ( UVCO), 2 ( MECP) ; Finca Los Alpes , 04°42 ′ 24.8 ″ N, 75°49 ′ 01.0 ″ W, 1194 m, 02.xii.2008, coll. J. Muñoz, ex avocado cv. ‘ Papelillo’ (‘ Lorena’), 1 ( UVCO), 2 ( MECP) ; Finca Los Alpes , 04°17 ′ 56.0 ″ N, 75°53 ′ 00.0 ″ W, 1376 m, 28.x.2008, coll. A. Arias, ex avocado cv. ‘ Booth 8’, 1 ( UVCO) ; Finca Villa del Sol , 04°42 ′ 06.1 ″ N, 75°50 ′ 00.5 ″ W, 1215 m, 02.xii.2009, coll. J. Muñoz, ex avocado cv. ‘ Papelillo’ (‘ Lorena’), 2 ( UVCO), 3 ( MECP) .

Distribution. Cosmopolitan ( Ben-Dov et al. 2015).

Remarks. Ceroplastes floridensis was found on the upper surface of leaves of ‘Booth 8’ and ‘Lorena’ cultivars.