Pseudokermes vitreus (Cockerell)

Family

Coccidae

Common name

Glassy scale

Field characters

According to Hamon and Williams (1984) wax covering is glassy and transparent with a conspicuous longitudinal ridge. In dorsal view the cover is circular, irregular, with a roughened surface containing both radiating and concentric striations; moderately convex in lateral view; body reddish brown. Occurring on leaves. Eggs hatch within the body of the female.

Validation characters

Legs absent; antennae 1-segmented; median groove anterior of plates containing numerous preopercular pores, present forward to anterior thorax, usually goove is sclerotized; dorsal setae absent. Other characters: Multilocular pores restricted to vulvar area, with 5 loculi; marginal setae spinose; stigmatic setae either not differentiated from marginal setae, or with 1 long seta in each spiracular furrow; tubular ducts in submarginal band on venter; with 8 or more fringe setae; anal plate with enlarged discal setae and about 8 apical and subdiscal setae; dorsum often partially sclerotized.

Comparison

Pseudokermes vitreus is unique among the commonly intercepted soft scales by having legs absent; antennae 1-segmented; median groove anterior of plates containing numerous preopercular pores, present forward to anterior thorax; dorsal setae absent; multilocular pores restricted to vulvar area, with 5 loculi; marginal setae spinose; tubular ducts in submarginal band on venter; with 8 or more fringe setae; anal plate with enlarged discal setae and about 8 apical setae.

U.S. quarantine notes

This species was intercepted 16 times on a variety of hosts at U. S. ports-of-entry between 1995 and 2012, with specimens originating from Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and St. Lucia. We also have examined specimens taken in quarantine from Barbados (Annona); Brazil (Laurus, Thymelacaceae); Costa Rica (orchid); Dominican Republic (Annona); Jamaica (Begonia); Puerto Rico (Dieffenbachia). ScaleNet includes hosts in only 7 plant families. ScaleNet distribution records for P. vitreus include several countries in the Neotropical zoogeographic region and The United States of America (Florida) in the Nearctic region. No other species of Pseudokermes have been intercepted at a U. S. port-of-entry.

Important references

HamonWi1984

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