Lesser Snow Scale | Pinnaspis strachani (Cooley) | Pest Rating Proposals and Final Ratings

California Pest Rating for

Pinnaspis strachani (Cooley): Lesser Snow Scale

Hemiptera: Diaspididae

Pest Rating: A

PEST RATING PROFILE

Initiating Event:

Pinnaspis strachani is frequently intercepted by CDFA. A pest rating proposal is required to support the permanent pest rating.

History & Status:

Background: Pinnaspis strachani is a highly polyphagous armored scale insect that feeds on a wide variety of plants. Known hosts include: Acanthaceae: Justicia sp.¹, Thunbergia grandiflora¹; Amaryllidaceae: Agave fourcroytes¹, Crinum sp.¹, Crinum asiaticum¹, Eucharis sp.¹, Polianthes tuberosa¹; Anacardiaceae: Anacardium occidentale¹, Mangifera sp.¹, Mangifera odorata¹, Mangifera indica¹; Annonaceae: Annona muricata¹, Annona squamosa¹, Annona sp.¹, Annona reticulata¹, Cananga odorata¹, Polyalthia longifolia¹, Uvaria sp.¹; Apocynaceae: Calotropis procera¹, Nerium sp.¹, Pachypodium sp.¹, Parsonsia sp.¹, Plumeria sp.¹, Plumeria alba¹, Plumeria rubra¹, Plumeria tuberculata¹, Vallesia glabra¹; Araceae: Colocasia esculenta¹, Rhaphidophora sp.¹; Araliaceae: Arailia sp.¹, Schefflera sp.¹, Arecaceae: Acanthophoenix sp.¹, Attalea gomphocarpa¹, Chamaerops , Chrysalidocarpus sp.¹, Cocos nucifera¹, Cocos sp.¹, Elaeis guineensis¹, Heterospathe sp.¹, Howea sp.¹, Kentia sp.¹, Latania sp.¹, Licuala sp.¹, Livistona sp.¹, Phoenix dactylifera¹, Rhapis sp.¹, Roystonea regia¹, Sabal sp.¹, Thrinax sp.¹, Trachycarpus sp.¹, Veitchia joannis¹, Verschaffeltia¹; Asparagaceae: Agave sisalana¹, Agave americana¹, Cordyline sp.¹, Dracaena sp.¹, Furcraea gigantea¹, Liriope sp.¹, Yucca sp.¹; Asteraceae: Chrysanthemum indicum¹, Fitchia sp.¹, Psiadia sp.¹, Scalesia incisa¹, Scalesia affinis¹; Boraginaceae: Coldenia fusca¹, Cordia lutea¹, Cordia alba¹, Cordia macrostachya¹, Heliotropium arborescens¹, Messerschmidia argentea¹, Tournefortia sp.¹, Tournefortia argentea¹; Brassicaceae: Thelypodium sp.¹, Bromeliaceae: Ananas comosus¹, Bromelia sp.¹; Cannaceae: Canna indica¹; Combretaceae: Conocarpus erecta¹, Terminalia sp.¹, Terminalia catappa¹, Terminalia calamansanay¹, Terminalia complanata¹; Convolvulaceae: Ipomoea batatas¹, Ipomoea grandiflora¹; Crassulaceae: Bryophyllum pinnata¹; Cucurbitaceae: Benincasa cerifera¹, Cucurbita sp.¹, Cucurbita maxima¹, Cucurbita pepo¹, Sechium sp.¹, Sechium edulis¹, Trichosanthes sp.¹; Cycadaceae: Cycas sp.¹, Cycas revoluta¹, Dioon edule¹, Zamia sp.¹; Dioscoreaceae: Dioscorea alata¹, Dioscorea bulbifera¹, Dioscorea sp.¹, Ebenaceae: Diospyros chloroxylon¹, Diospyros kaki¹; Elaeocarpaceae: Muntingia calabura¹; Euphorbiaceae: Acalypha wilkesiana¹, Aleurites moluccana¹, Chamaesyce amplexicaulis¹, Croton lucidus¹, Croton sp.¹, Euphorbiaceae heterophylla¹, Euphorbiaceae sp.¹, Euphorbiaceae nivulia¹, Euphorbiaceae pulcherrima¹, Excoecaria agallocha¹, Hevea brasiliensis¹, Hippomane mancinella¹, Jatropha curcas¹, Manihot sp.¹, Manihot esculenta¹, Pedilanthus sp.¹, Ricinus communis¹; Fabaceae: Acacia melanoxylon¹, Albizia stipulata¹, Albizia sp.¹, Bahuinia variegata¹, Bauhinia sp.¹, Bauhinia pauletia¹, Bauhinia purpurea¹, Bauhinia sp.¹, Caesalpinia sp.¹, Caesalpinia pulcherrima¹, Caesalpinia crista¹, Cajanus indicus¹, Cajanus sp.¹, Cajanus cajan¹, Canavalia microcarpa¹, Cassia alata¹, Cassia tora¹, Cassia occidentalis¹, Crotalaria usaramoensis¹, Crotalaria hirsuta¹, Crotalaria sp.¹, Delonix regia¹, Desmodium lasiocarpum¹, Enterolobium cyclocarpum¹, Erythrina subumbrans¹, Erythrina sp.¹, Erythrina poeppigiana¹, Erythrina lithosperma¹, Erythrina indica¹, Erythrina glauca¹, Galactia striata¹, Inocarpus fagiferus¹, Intsia bijuga¹, Lablab purpureus¹, Leucaena leucocephala¹, Lonchocarpus pentaphyllus¹, Macroptilium lathyroides¹, Mimosa pigra¹, Mimosa pudica¹, Phaseolus vulgaris¹, Pithecolobium saman¹, Prosopis sp.¹, Pueraria thunbergiana¹, Samanea saman¹, Sophora tomentosa¹, Wistaria sp.¹; Geraniaceae: Geranium sp.¹, Pelargonium radula¹, Pelargonium zonale¹; Gesneriaceae: Saintpaulia sp.¹; Heliconiaceae: Heliconia sp.¹; Hernandiaceae: Hernandia ovigera¹, Hernandia peltata¹; Lamiaceae: Ocimum gratissimum¹; Lauraceae: Cassytha filiformis¹, Cinnamomum camphora¹, Persea americana¹; Lecythidaceae: Barringtonia sp.¹, Barringtonia asiatica¹, Barringtonia thurstonii¹, Barringtonia butonica¹; Liliaceae: Aloe sp.¹, Asparagus officinalis¹, Asparagus sprengeri¹, Asparagus plumosus¹, Cordyline terminalis¹, Ophiopogon japonicus¹, Ophiopogon intermedius¹, Rhipogonum scandens¹, Sansevieria metallica¹, Sansevieria sp.¹, Yucca gloriosa¹; Lythraceae: Lagerstroemia indica¹, Punica granatum¹; Magnoliaceae: Magnolia grandiflora¹; Malvaceae: Abutilon hybridum¹, Abutilon sp.¹, Althaea officinalis¹, Bastardia vicosa¹, Ceiba sp.¹, Ceiba pentrandra¹, Dombeya sp.¹, Gossypium sp.¹, Gossypium hirsutum¹, Gossypium barbadense¹, Gossypium arboreum¹, Guazuma ulmifolia¹, Hibiscus sp.¹, Hibiscus syriacus¹, Hibiscus tiliaceus¹, Hibiscus sabdariffa¹, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis¹, Hibiscus mutabilis¹, Hibiscus manihot¹, Hibiscus esculentus¹, Malvastrum americanum¹, Malvaviscus arboreus¹, Ochroma sp.¹, Pachira insignis¹, Sida sp.¹, Sida acuta¹, Sterculia sp.¹, Thespesia sp.¹, Thespesia propulnea¹, Triumfetta semitriloba¹, Urena lobata¹, Vitis vinifera¹, Waltheria ovata¹; Marantaceae: Calathea zebrina¹, Maranta sp.¹; Meliaceae: Cedrela salvadorensis¹, Melia azedarach¹; Menispermaceae: Cissampelos pareira¹; Moraceae: Artocarpus heterophyllus¹, Artocarpus altilis¹, Ficus carica¹, Ficus palmata¹, Morus nigra¹; Moringaceae: Moringa oleifera¹; Musaceae: Musa sp.¹, Musa sapientum¹; Myrtaceae: Eucalyptus grandis¹; Nyctaginaceae: Bougainvillea sp.¹, Cryptocarpus pyriformis¹; Ochnaceae: Lophira alata¹; Olacaceae: Schoepfia sp.¹, Oleaceae: Jasminum grandifolium¹, Jasminum sambac¹; Orchidaceae: Aerides¹, Cymbidium sp.¹, Cypripedium sp.¹, Dendrobium sp.¹, Odontoglossum sp.¹, Orchis sp.¹, Paphiopedilum insigne¹, Phalaenopsis sp.¹, Renanthera sp.¹, Rhynchostylis sp.¹, Trichoglottis sp.¹; Pandanaceae: Pandanus sp.¹, Pandanus odoratissimus¹; Passifloraceae: Passiflora edulis¹; Piperaceae: Piper nigrum¹; Poaceae: Cenchrus ciliaris¹, Cenchrus glauca¹, Cymbopogon sp.¹, Cynodon dactylon¹, Panicum sp.¹; Polygonaceae: Antigonon sp.¹, Antigonon leptopus¹, Coccoloba sp.¹, Polygala sancti-georgii¹, Polygala galapageia¹, Polygala andersonnii¹, Polygonum glabrum¹; Polypodiaceae: Niphobolus fissus¹; Portulacaceae: Portulaca sp.¹, Proteaceae: Grevillea heliosperma¹, Grevillea robusta¹, Persoonia sp.¹; Pteridaceae: Asplenium nidus¹; Pteridophyta: Neottopteris rigida¹, Nephrolepis davalliodes¹, Platycerium grande¹; Rhamnaceae: Colubrina arborences¹, Scutia pauciflora¹, Ziziphus sp.¹, Ziziphus jujuba¹; Rhizophoraceae: Bruguiera gymnorhiza¹, Rhizophora mangle¹; Rosaceae: Prunus sp.¹, Prunus persica¹, Pyrus sp.¹; Rubiaceae: Genipa sp.¹, Morinda royoc¹, Morinda citrifolia¹, Randia sp.¹; Rutaceae: Aegle marmelos¹, Atlantia citrioides¹, Balsamocitrus paniculata¹, Balsamocitrus chevaliere¹, Balsamocitrus dawei¹, Casimiroa sp.¹, Citrus aurantifolia¹, Citrus unshiu¹, Citrus sp.¹, Citrus sinensis¹, Citrus paradisi¹, Citrus maxima¹, Citrus macrophylla¹, Citrus limon¹, Citrus grandis¹, Citrus aurantium¹, Feronia limonia¹, Feroniella pentaphylla¹, Limonia glutinosa¹, Limonia acidissima¹, Micromelum minutum¹, Murraya exotica¹, Murraya paniculata¹, Murraya koenigii¹, Zanthoxylum sp.¹, Zanthoxylum martinicense¹; Salicaceae: Salix chilensis¹, Salix sp.¹, Salix babylonica¹; Santalaceae: Viscum sp.¹; Sapindaceae: Dodonaea viscosa¹, Litchi chinensis¹, Melicoccus sp.¹, Melicoccus bijugatus¹, Sapindus sp.¹; Sapotaceae: Pouteria obavata¹; Solanaceae: Capsicum annuum¹, Capsicum sp.¹, Capsicum frutescens¹, Cestrum diurnum¹, Datura metel¹, Lycopersicon esculentum¹, Solanum seaforthianum¹, Solanum wendlandii¹, Solanum torvum¹, Solanum sp.¹, Solanum erianthum¹, Solanum melongena¹; Strelitziaceae: Ravenala madagascariensis¹, Strelitzia sp.¹; Symplocaceae: Symplocos sp.¹; Ulmaceae: Trema guineensis¹, Trema micranthum¹; Urticaceae: Laportea sp.¹, Soleirolia sp.¹; Verbenaceae: Clerodendron thomsonae¹, Gmelina arborea¹, Lantana involucrata¹, Stachytarpheta sp.¹; Vitaceae: Cissus sp.¹, Vitis sp.¹; Zingiberaceae: Alpinia purpurata¹, Zingiber officinale¹; and Manoranjitham sp.¹. Pinnaspis strachani may be spread long distances in the commerce of infested plants or plant parts.

Worldwide Distribution: Pinnaspis strachani is widespread in Australasian, Oceanic, Afrotropical, Oriental, and Neotropical regions¹. In North America it has been reported in Mexico, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas¹. It is also present in Hawaii.

Official Control: Pinnaspis strachani is listed as a quarantine pest by Honduras, Japan, New Zealand, and Taiwan³.

California Distribution: Pinnaspis strachani has never been found in the environment of California.

California Interceptions: Pinnaspis strachani was intercepted 1,401 times by California between January 1, 2000 and December 12, 2014. Interceptions are most common on plants and fruit from Hawaii, Florida, and Costa Rica.

The risk Pinnaspis strachani (lesser snow scale) would pose to California is evaluated below.

Consequences of Introduction:

1) Climate/Host Interaction: Host plants are commonly grown as crops and ornamentals in California and Pinnaspis strachani is likely to establish wherever they grow. The scale receives a High (3) in this category.

Evaluate if the pest would have suitable hosts and climate to establish in California. Score:

– Low (1) Not likely to establish in California, or likely to establish in very limited areas.

– Medium (2) may be able to establish in a larger but limited part of California.

– High (3) likely to establish a widespread distribution in California.

2) Known Pest Host Range: Pinnaspis strachani is highly polyphagous. It is known to feed on hundreds of species of plants in at least 74 families. It receives a High (3) in this category.

Evaluate the host range of the pest. Score:

– Low (1) has a very limited host range.

– Medium (2) has a moderate host range.

– High (3) has a wide host range.

3) Pest Dispersal Potential: Scale insects have high reproductive rates and may disperse long distances when infested plants or plant parts are moved. They may also be spread by wind or by hitchhiking on plants, animals, or equipment. Pinnaspis strachani receives a High (3) in this category.

Evaluate the natural and artificial dispersal potential of the pest. Score:

– Low (1) does not have high reproductive or dispersal potential.

– Medium (2) has either high reproductive or dispersal potential.

– High (3) has both high reproduction and dispersal potential.

4) Economic Impact: Pinnaspis strachani is documented as a pest of many crops including citrus, olives, and cotton¹. Known hosts also include grapes, Prunus and avocado. The scale may lower yields in these crops and increase production costs by triggering new management programs. Pinnaspis strachani is also listed as a quarantine pest by several of California’s trading partners and therefore has the potential to trigger a loss of markets. It receives a High (3) in this category.

Evaluate the economic impact of the pest to California using the criteria below. Score:

A. The pest could lower crop yield.

B. The pest could lower crop value (includes increasing crop production costs).

C. The pest could trigger the loss of markets (includes quarantines).

D. The pest could negatively change normal cultural practices.

E. The pest can vector, or is vectored, by another pestiferous organism.

F. The organism is injurious or poisonous to agriculturally important animals.

G. The organism can interfere with the delivery or supply of water for agricultural uses.

– Low (1) causes 0 or 1 of these impacts.

– Medium (2) causes 2 of these impacts.

– High (3) causes 3 or more of these impacts.

5) Environmental Impact: Pinnaspis strachani is not expected to lower biodiversity, disrupt natural communities, or change ecosystem processes. The scale may directly affect threatened or endangered species including Thelypodium stenopetalum (slender-petaled thelypodium), Chamaesyce hooveri (Hoover’s spurge), Croton wigginsii (Wiggins’ croton), and Polygonum hickmanii (Scott’s valley polygonum). The scale is not expected to disrupt critical habitats. Pinnaspis strachani may trigger new chemical treatments in agriculture and by residents who find infested plants unsightly. The scale may also significantly impact a wide variety of ornamental plantings and home/urban gardens. Lesser snow scale receives a High (3) in this category.

Evaluate the environmental impact of the pest on California using the criteria below.

A. The pest could have a significant environmental impact such as lowering biodiversity, disrupting natural communities, or changing ecosystem processes.

B. The pest could directly affect threatened or endangered species.

C. The pest could impact threatened or endangered species by disrupting critical habitats.

D. The pest could trigger additional official or private treatment programs.

E. The pest significantly impacts cultural practices, home/urban gardening or ornamental plantings.

Score the pest for Environmental Impact. Score:

– Low (1) causes none of the above to occur.

– Medium (2) causes one of the above to occur.

– High (3) causes two or more of the above to occur.

**Consequences of Introduction to California for Pinnaspis strachani (lesser snow scale): High (15)**

Add up the total score and include it here.

–Low = 5-8 points

–Medium = 9-12 points

–High = 13-15 points

6) Post Entry Distribution and Survey Information: Pinnaspis strachani has never been detected in the environment of California and receives a Not established (0) in this category.

Evaluate the known distribution in California. Only official records identified by a taxonomic expert and supported by voucher specimens deposited in natural history collections should be considered. Pest incursions that have been eradicated, are under eradication, or have been delimited with no further detections should not be included.

–Not established (0) Pest never detected in California, or known only from incursions.

–Low (-1) Pest has a localized distribution in California, or is established in one suitable climate/host area (region).

–Medium (-2) Pest is widespread in California but not fully established in the endangered area, or pest established in two contiguous suitable climate/host areas.

–High (-3) Pest has fully established in the endangered area, or pest is reported in more than two contiguous or non-contiguous suitable climate/host areas.

Final Score:

The final score is the consequences of introduction score minus the post entry distribution and survey information score: High(15)

Uncertainty:

Pinnaspis strachani is commonly intercepted and presumably has remained undetected on other consignments. It may already be present in some localities in California or may have failed to establish.

Conclusion and Rating Justification:

Pinnaspis strachani (lesser snow scale) has never been found in the environment of California and can be expected to have significant economic and environmental impacts if it were to establish here. An “A”-rating is justified.