Wright, E.R., Chase, K.D., & Ward, S.F. 2023 Quantifying the potential for wind and phoresy to drive off-plant movement of crapemyrtle bark scale, Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae): Implications for spread in urban landscapes. Agricultural and Forest Entomology DOI: 10.1111/afe.12608
Keywords:
Notes: After being detected in 2004 in a Texas nursery, crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS), Acanthococcus lagerstroemiae (Kuwana) (Hemiptera: Eriococcidae), has established in 15 different states across the Southeast and Middle Atlantic regions of the USA. Our findings demonstrate that CMBS nymphs can become dislodged from ecologically relevant substrates at low wind speeds (7 m/s) and provided evidence that CMBS nymphs willingly, though not preferentially, crawl onto vector proxies, a final step before dispersing phoretically. Our results indicate that trees with high-density infestations of CMBS are frequent sources of propagules, given that (i) wind speeds that shake small tree branches are likely to dislodge active crawlers and (ii) active crawlers appear willing to walk onto birds and mammals.
