Control of Asian Cycad Scale Using Mauget’s Imicide trunk microinjection.
Terry A. Tattar (1) and Arnold Farran (2)
1. Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Microbiology,
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01002
2. Director of Research, J. J. Mauget Company, Arcadia, CA 91006
Proceedings—Interagency Research Forum on Gypsy Moth and other Invasive Species
ABSTRACT
Asian cycad scale is native to Thailand and southern China but was imported to Florida on nursery stock. This insect has since spread on imported cycads to Guam, Hawaii and Puerto Rico where it poses a threat to native cycads in tropical forests. In 2005, the Asian cycad scalehad already infested native cycads throughout the forests of Guam, many of which are C. micornesica that are over 100 years old. Mortality of 100 percent of cycads can be expected within 1 year following infestation of the Asian cycad scale. This insect has also caused serious losses in nursery cycad stock and in cycad landscape plantings in California, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Control of this insect by spray applications has not been effective. Application of Imicide, a 10 percent imidacloprid formulation, via trunk injection from 3 ml Mauget capsules wasinvestigated in a mature cycad planting in southern California. Asian cycad scale populations were reduced in Imicide-injected cycads by 32 percent after 60 days while scale populations increased by 268 percent in untreated control cycads.
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