| Scales and mealybugs are common pests and do considerable harm in the Pacific and elsewhere, but are often difficult to identify. They are commonly spread from country to country, presumably on unauthorized importations of plant material. Members provided lists of references and also places to send specimens for indentificiation.
The best available identification keys to the scale insects (including mealybugs) of the South Pacific are the 3 monographs published by CABI (1988-1990) (details below). There are copies available at the USP library in Suva; copies may be purchased through the CABI website at: http://www.cabi.org/Bookshop/browsecat.asp?ID=9&next=40
Williams, D.J. & Watson, G.W. (1988a) The scale insects of the tropical South Pacific region. Part 1. The armoured scales (Diaspididae). 290 pp. CAB International, Wallingford. Current retail price from CABI Publishing: UK pounds 45 (US$85).
Williams, D.J. & Watson, G.W. (1988b) The scale insects of the tropical South Pacific region. Part 2. The mealybugs (Pseudococcidae). 260 pp. CAB International, Wallingford. Current retail price from CABI Publishing: UK pounds 40 (US$75).
Williams, D.J. & Watson, G.W. (1990) The scale Insects of the tropical South Pacific region. Part 3. The soft scales (Coccidae) and other families. 267 pp. CAB International, Wallingford. Current retail price from
CABI Publishing: UK pounds 40 (US$75).
Places to send specimens for identification are: LandCare, NZ and CABI Bioscience Insect Identification Service, UK. but there will costs. For French territories, another option may be to send material to the Muséum nationale d’Histoire naturelle in Paris: Laboratoire d’Entomologie, 45 rue Buffon, F-75005 Paris,
France. |
