Species: Saissetia oleae   (Olivier) - Catalog

Common name: Black scale Field Characters: Body round; convex in cross section in older females; body yellow, orange yellow, or gray, as specimens mature becoming brown or black; all stages with raised areas forming an "H" on dorsum; with small areas of clear wax on dorsum; without an ovisac; hemispherical body forms a cavity under female where eggs are laid. Occurring on leaves and stems.
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Habitus when available
Validation characters - Diagnosis: Marginal setae simple or slightly fimbriate; anal plates with conspicuous discal seta; discal seta not fimbriate; tibio-tarsus not articulated, with tibio-tarsal sclerosis; ventral submarginal tubular ducts with narrow filament; derm with areolations in older females. Other characters: Dorsal tubular ducts absent; with numerous submarginal dome-shaped tubercles; each anal plate with 3 or 4 apical setae and no subdiscal seta; with 3 subapical setae on each plate; anal fold with 5 to 8 fringe setae, normally 6; ventral tubular ducts restricted to submarginal areas; multilocular pores normally with 10 loculi; multiloculars present in vulvar area forward to segment 2; multilocular pores anterior of anterior spiracle predominantly with 5 loculi, about same size as pores laterad of anterior spiracle; claw without denticle; claw digitules equal; 3 pairs of prevulvar setae (posterior pair often obscured by anal plates); stigmatic setae differentiated from other marginal setae, middle seta longer than lateral setae; anal plates with posterior margin about equal to or slightly longer than length of anterior margin; antennae usually 8-segmented; preopercular pores conspicuous, restricted to area anterior of anal plates. Comparison: Saissetia oleae is similar to S. neglecta by having a disc seta on anal plates, few setae between anterior spiracular furrows, and areolate derm. Saissetia oleae differs by having tibio-tarsus with sclerosis, marginal setae less fimbriate, disc seta with simple apex, and dorsal setae with slightly rounded apex (S. neglecta has tibio-tarsus without sclerosis, marginal setae conspicuously fimbriate, disc seta with fimbriate apex, and dorsal setae with acute apex.) U.S. quarantine notes: Between 1995 and 2005, this species was intercepted at U. S. ports-of-entry 19 times. We have examined specimens taken in quarantine from Algeria (Citrus, Pyrus); Argentina (Citrus, Vitis); Australia (Boronia, Citrus, Correa, Gardenia, Macrozamia, Nerium, Olea); Bermuda (Bryophyllum, Cycas, Laurus, Nerium); Brazil (Cassia, Oncidium); Britian (Olearia); Canary Islands (Cycas); Chile (Citrus, Prunus, Tilia); China (Litchi), Dominican Republic (Olea); Ecuador (Dieffenbachia); El Salvador (Terminalia); France (Abutilon, Citrus, Ilex, Laurus, Myrtus, Nerium, Osteospermum, Pyrus); Greece (Citrus, Olea, Punica); Guatemala (Solanum); Italy (Aralia, Cheirostemon, Citrus, Elaeodendron, Euonymus, Fatsia, Nerium, Olea, Punica, Pyrus, Quercus, Ricinus, Silene, Vinca); Japan (Buxus, Fatsia); Madiera (Nerium); Mexico (Citrus, Nerium); Morocco (Citrus); Netherlands (Ricinus); New Zealand (Amygdalus, Citrus, Corokia, Ourisia, Prunus, Pseudopanax, Sideroxylon, Suttonia, Veronica, Vitex); Peru (Stanhopea); Portugal (Citrus, Olea, Prunus, Punica); Sicily (Citrus); South Afica (Leucospermum, Protea); Spain (Citrus, Euonymus, Olea); Tunisia (Prunus); Turkey (Ficus); Uruguay (Cycas, Nerium, Olea, Tamarix); Yugoslavia (Olea). We have not examined specimens for the following interception records in the APHIS database Hawaii (Alyxia); Israel (Olea); Jamaica (Camellia); Thailand (Dimocarpus, Durio). ScaleNet includes hosts on over 75 plant families from all zoogeographic regions. Because this species was divided into 3 in 1969 and 1971, many of the older records may be erroneous. No species in the genus Saissetia other than S. coffeae, S. miranda, S. neglecta, and S. oleae has been intercepted at U. S. ports-of-entry. References: DeLott1971b; Gill1988; Granar1999; HamonWi1984; WilliaWa1990. All references mentioning: Saissetia oleae
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