DISTRIBUTION: Map II. AL, AZ, CA, DC,
GA, HI, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, OH, PA, SC,
TX.
Foreign: Bermuda, Colombia, Galapagos
Islands, Italy, Jamaica, Marshall Islands, Mex-
ico, Philippines, Trinidad, Virgin Islands, and
Wake Island.


DESCRIPTION: (Fig. 15) Adult female ovate,
spiracular depressions distinct. Length 1.0-6.0
mm, width 0.5-5.0 mm. DoRsvM-Derm mem-
branous in young adult females, sclerotized in
older females. Seven clear areas around sub-
margin, with 1 mid-dorsal clear area. Dorsal
setae variable in shape, ca. 35 cylindrical setae
with pointed or blunt apices, ca. 45 capitate
setae. Dorsal pores numerous, bilocular pores
(Fig. 15, D), triangular trilocular pores (Fig. 15,
E) evenly distributed. Anal plates with 1 ventral
and 3 or 4 dorsal setae. VENTER-Membranous,
with numerous cruciform pores (Fig. 15, H) con-
centrated on submargin, scattered on remainder
of venter. Antennae 7-segmented. Quii-
quelocular pores (Fig. 15, I) in each spiracular
furrow number ca. 47. Many multilocular pores
(Fig. 15, C) surround vulva, several occur on 7th
abdominal segment, decreasing in number on
other abdominal segments. Tubular ducts (Fig.
15, J) with slightly asymmetrical cups, each with
an inner filament nearly as long and much nar-
rower than basal part of duct. Legs well
developed, with tibiotarsal scleroses, equal claw
digitules, claws with denticles. MARGIN-Mar-
ginal bristle-shaped setae (Fig. 15, G) placed as
follows: 6 between eyes, 2 between eye and
spiracular furrow, 3 between anterior and pos-
terior spiracular furrows, 10 between posterior
spiracular furrow and anal cleft. Spiracular setae
(Fig. 15, B) mainly isosceles, occasionally cylin-
drical with apical 3rd tapering, pointed or
slightly rounded, ca. 30 in 3 or 4 rows. Filamen-
tous ducts absent.


 SII. D on of ol fo
Map II. Distribution of Ceroplastes cirripediformis.


BIOLOGY: Overwinter as adult females. Males
are known but are very rare. The 1st instar
nymphs settle on the leaves of host plants and
migrate to the woody tissue soon after molting to
the 3rd instar.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE: Ceroplastes cir-
ripediformis is a minor pest of Citrus and many
ornamentals in Florida. Heavy populations
create an unsightly appearance on ornamental
plants in addition to the damage from removal of
large quantities of plant sap.
NATURAL ENEMIES: Peck (1963) listed the
cosmopolitan parasitoid Scutellista cyanea
Motschulsky from Florida, and Metaphycas mex-
icanus Howard from Louisiana. According to
Bartlett (in Clausen ed. 1978), S. cyanea was im-
ported into Louisiana from Italy, but it eventu-
ally declined because of hyperparasites.
However, Krombein et al. (1979) indicated it is
so common in North America that it is sometimes
assumed to be native. Scutellista cyanea is an ex-
ternal egg parasite and is only effective against