Oriental Scale | Pest Rating Proposals and Final Ratings

California Pest Rating for

Aonidiella orientalis (Newstead): Oriental Scale

Hemiptera: Diaspididae

Pest Rating: A

PEST RATING PROFILE

Initiating Event:

Aonidiella orientalis is frequently intercepted by CDFA. A pest rating proposal is required to support its pest rating.

History & Status:

Background: Aonidiella orientalis is a highly polyphagous armored scale insect. It feeds on the leaves of a wide variety of plants and is regarded as an economic pest of citrus, tea, dates, palms, papaya, mango, and ornamentals¹. Known hosts include: Acanthaceae: Adhatoda vasica¹, Barleria cristata¹, Thunbergia grandiflora¹; Amaranthaceae: Bassia latifolia¹; Anacardiaceae: Mangifera indica¹, Pistacia integerrima¹, Spondias cytherea¹; Annonaceae: Annona squamosa¹, Annona glabra¹, Annona¹, Polyalthia korihthi¹, Polyathia¹, Rollinia emarginata¹; Apocynaceae: Alstonia scholaris¹, Alstonia¹, Calotropis¹, Calotropis procera¹, Carissa carandas¹, Carissa¹, Nerium¹, Nerium oleander¹, Plumeria¹, Tabernaemontana coronaria¹, Tabernaemontana¹; Araliaceae: Hedera¹; Arecaceae: Cocos nucifera¹, Cocos¹, Inodes neglecta¹, Loroma amethystiora¹, Phoenix¹, Phoenix dactylifera¹, Phoenix¹, Roystonea regia¹; Aristolochiaceae: Aristolochia¹; Asparagaceae: Agave variegata¹, Agave sisalana¹, Agave americana¹, Agave¹; Bignoniaceae: Bignonia vinusta¹, Bignonia radicans¹, Kigelia pinnata¹, Oroxylum indicum¹, Tecoma australis¹, Tecoma undulata¹, Tecoma stans¹; Boraginaceae: Cordia rothii¹, Cordia myxa¹, Cordia¹, Cordia obliqua¹, Ehretia serrata¹; Burseraceae: Boswellia serrata¹, Bursera serrata¹; Buxaceae: Buxus sempervirens¹; Cactaceae: Cactus¹, Opuntia¹; Cannaceae: Canna indica¹; Capparaceae: Crataeva religiosa¹; Caprifoliaceae: Lonicera chinensis¹, Sambucus javanica¹; Caricaceae: Carica papaya¹, Carica papaya¹; Celastraceae: Catha edulis¹, Celastrus paniculata¹; Combretaceae: Quisqualis indica¹, Terminalia belerica¹, Terminalia arjuna¹; Convolvulaceae: Calonyction roxburghii¹, Ipomoea¹, Porana paniculata¹; Cunoniaceae: Weinmannia¹; Cycadaceae: Cycas revoluta¹, Cycas¹; Ebenaceae: Diospyros¹, Diospyros montana¹, Diospyros embryopteris¹; Elaeagnaceae: Elaeagnus pungens¹; Euphorbiaceae: Acalypha¹, Bischofia javanica¹, Croton tiglium¹, Mallotus philippinensis¹, Phyllanthus myrtifolius¹, Poinsettia¹, Putranjiva roxburghii¹, Ricinus¹, Ricinus communis¹, Sapium sebiferum¹; Fabaceae: Acacia cyanophila¹, Albizia lebbek¹, Albizia¹, Atylosia¹, Atylosia candollii¹, Bauhinia variegata¹, Bauhinia¹, Bauhinia purpurea¹, Bauhinia alba¹, Bauhinia vahlii¹, Bauhinia racemosa¹, Butea frondosa¹, Caesalpinia bonducella¹, Cassia¹, Cassia auriculata¹, Cassia fistula¹, Ceratonia siliqua¹, Dalbergia¹, Dalbergia lanceolaria¹, Dalbergia sissoo¹, Erythrina crista¹, Inga dulcis¹, Poinciana regia¹, Pongamia glabra¹, Saraca indica¹, Tamarindus¹, Tamarindus indica¹, Tephrosia¹; Heliconiaceae: Heliconia¹; Liliaceae: Aloe vera¹, Asparagus sprengeri¹, Asparagus¹; Lythraceae: Lagerstroemia indica¹, Lawsonia inermis¹, Punica granatum¹; Magnoliaceae: Magnolia grandiflora¹; Malpighiaceae: Hiptage madablota¹; Malvaceae: Adansonia¹, Bombax malabaricum¹, Eriodendron anfractuosum¹, Grewia asiatica¹, Hibiscus¹, Pterospermum acerifolium¹, Sterculia¹, Sterculia alata¹; Melastomataceae: Osbeckia¹, Wrightia coccinea¹, Meliaceae: Azedarach indica¹, Cedrela toona¹, Melia volkensii¹, Melia¹, Melia indica¹, Melia composita¹, Melia azadirachta¹, Swietenia mahagoni¹; Menispermaceae: Cocculus laurifolius¹; Moraceae: Broussonetia papyrifera¹, Ficus benghalensis¹, Ficus salicifolia¹, Ficus glomerata¹, Ficus infectoria¹, Ficus nitida¹, Ficus orbicularis¹, Ficus palmata¹, Ficus religiosa¹, Ficus carica¹, Ficus retusa¹, Ficus roxburghii¹, Ficus¹, Ficus elastica¹, Maclura aurantiaca¹, Morus¹, Morus alba¹, Morus laevigata¹; Moringaceae: Moringa pterygosperma¹; Musaceae: Musa¹, Musa sapientum¹; Myrtaceae: Callistemon rigidus¹, Eucalyptus¹, Eugenia jambolana¹, Eugenia¹, Myrrhinium rubriflorum¹, Myrtus communis¹, Psidium guajava¹; Nyctaginaceae: Bougainvillea¹, Mirabilis jalapa¹, Nyctaginia¹; Ochnaceae: Ochna squarrosa¹; Oleaceae: Jasminum¹, Olea europaea¹; Orchidaceae:¹; Oxalidaceae: Averrhoa carambola¹; Poaceae: Panicum¹; Podocarpaceae: Podocarpus neriifolius¹, Podocarpus lamberti¹; Polygonaceae: Antigonon leptopus¹; Proteaceae: Grevillea robusta¹; Ranunculaceae: Clematis paniculatus¹; Rhamnaceae: Rhamnus persicus¹, Ziziphus oenoplia¹, Ziziphus¹, Ziziphus jujuba¹; Rhizophoraceae: Bruguiera sexangulata¹, Rhizophora mucronata¹; Rosaceae: Eriobotrya japonica¹, Prunus armeniaca¹, Pyrus sinensis¹, Rosa¹; Rubiaceae: Stephegyne parviflora¹; Rutaceae: Aegle marmelos¹, Aegle¹, Casimiroa¹, Chloroxylon swietenia¹, Citrus trifoliata¹, Citrus limon¹, Citrus aurantium¹, Citrus¹, Feronia elephantum¹, Limonia¹, Murraya exotica¹, Murraya exotica¹; Salicaceae: Populus alba¹, Populus euphratica¹, Salix tetrasperma¹; Santalaceae: Santalum album¹; Sapindaceae: Acer pictum¹, Acer oblongum¹, Dodonaea viscosa¹, Litchi chinensis¹, Nephelium litchi¹, Sapindus detergens¹; Sapotaceae: Mimusops elengi¹, Mimusops kauki¹; Simaroubaceae: Ailanthus aladulosa¹; Solanaceae: Solanum melongena¹, Solanum arundo¹; Theaceae: Camellia¹, Thea¹; Ulmaceae: Celtis¹, Celtis australis¹, Ulmus integrifolia¹, Ulmus¹; Verbenaceae: Callicarpa macrophyla¹, Citharexylum subserratum¹, Clerodendrum phlomoides¹, Duranta ellisi¹, Duranta plumieri¹, Gmelina arborea¹, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis¹, Vitex negundo¹; Vitaceae: Vitis vinifera¹, Zamiaceae: Zamia¹; Zingiberaceae: Alpinia nutans¹. Aonidiella orientalis may be transported long distances when infested plants or fresh plant parts are moved.

Worldwide Distribution: Aonidiella orientalis is presumably native to Asia and has spread through much of the Neotropical, Afrotropical, Palearctic, and Oceanic regions. In North America it is only known to be established in Florida¹.

Official Control: Aonidiella orientalis is listed as a harmful organism by Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Japan, and the Republic of Korea².

California Distribution: Aonidiella orientalis has never been found in California.

California Interceptions: From 1987 through 2015 Aonidiella orientalis was intercepted 225 times by CDFA’s high risk programs, dog teams, and border stations. Many of these interceptions have been on coconut, papaya, and mango from Florida, Brazil, and Mexico.

The risk Aonidiella orientalis (Oriental scale) would pose to California is evaluated below.

Consequences of Introduction:

1) Climate/Host Interaction: Due to its highly polyphagous nature and known distribution across a range of climates Aonidiella orientalis can be expected to establish a widespread distribution in California. It 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: Aonidiella orientalis is known to feed on hundreds of species in at least 67 plant 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 are capable of rapid reproduction and can be transported long distances when infested plants or fresh plant parts are moved. They may also disperse locally by crawling, wind, or by hitchhiking on clothing, equipment, or animals. Aonidiella orientalis 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: Aonidiella orientalis is considered an economic pest of several crops that are grown in California and may be expected to lower crop yields and increase crop production costs. Oriental scale is listed as a harmful organism by several of California’s trading partners. If the scale were to enter the state it may disrupt markets for fresh fruit and nursery stock. Aonidiella orientalis 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: Aonidiella orientalis is not expected to lower biodiversity, disrupt natural communities, or change ecosystem processes. It may feed on endangered and threatened species such as small-leaved rose (Rosa minutifolia). Oriental scale is not expected to disrupt critical habitats. It may trigger additional official or private treatment programs in orchards, the nursery industry, and by residents who find infested plants unacceptable. Aonidiella orientalis may also significantly impact cultural practices, home/urban gardening, and ornamental plantings. It 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 Aonidiella orientalis (Oriental 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: Aonidiella orientalis has never been found in 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:

There have not been any recent surveys for oriental scale in California. It is possible that it could be established in some localities.

Conclusion and Rating Justification:

Aonidiella orientalis has never been found in California and is likely to have significant economic and environmental impacts if it were to enter the state. An “A” rating is justified.

References:

¹ Miller, Dug, Yair Ben-Dov, Gary Gibson, and Nate Hardy. ScaleNet.

http://scalenet.info/catalogue/Aonidiella%20orientalis/

http://scalenet.info/validname/Aonidiella/orientalis/

² USDA Phytosanitary Certificate Issuance & Tracking System (PCIT) Phytosanitary Export Database (PExD). https://pcit.aphis.usda.gov/pcit/

Responsible Party:

Jason Leathers, 1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA, 95814, (916) 654-1211, plant.health[@]cdfa.ca.gov.

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