Dispersal of a Scale Insect, Pulvinariella mesembryanthemi (Homoptera: Coccoidea) on Iceplant in California

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Abstract
Experiments were performed with the iceplant scale, Pulvinariella mesembryanthemi , to assess the effectiveness of small rodents, birds, humans, dogs, and wind in dispersing 1st instar nymphs (crawlers), ovisacs, and eggs. Large numbers of crawlers were collected on sticky-trap panels 3.45 m above the host plant canopy, indicating a strong tendency for dispersal by wind. Humans and dogs walking through infested field sites accumulated eggs, ovisacs, and crawlers. In the laboratory, mice and parakeets accumulated crawlers and ovisacs while foraging in infested iceplant and harbored them on body surfaces for periods up to 2 h. Wind appears responsible for the rapid spread of this insect pest in California.