Icerya purchasi
System : Terrestrial
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Hemiptera
Margarodidae
  • General
  • Distribution
  • Impact
  • Management
  • Bibliography
  • Contact
Common name
cottony cushion scale (English)
Synonym
Similar species
Summary
The cottony cushion scale insect Icerya purchasi causes the decline of indigenous plants on the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
Nutrition
The cottony cushion scale insect feeds on plant sap (Charles Darwin foundation 2006b).

Principal source:

Compiler: IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) with support from the EU-funded South Atlantic Invasive Species project, coordinated by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)

Review:

Publication date: 2009-04-28

Recommended citation: Global Invasive Species Database (2024) Species profile: Icerya purchasi. Downloaded from http://www.iucngisd.org/gisd/species.php?sc=1464 on 26-04-2024.

General Impacts
The cottony cushion scale Icerya purchasi causes the premature loss of fruits and leaves, dieback of branches and death of some Galapagos plants and threatens valuable natural habitats particularly mangrove stands. I. purchasi also produces large quantities of honeydew which may encourage the growth of black sooty moulds that cover the leaves of the plant preventing photosynthesis (Charles Darwin foundation 2006b).
Management Info
The Australian ladybug Rodalia cardinalis Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) has been under investigation as a potential and safe biocontrol agent for the cottony cushion scale insect in the Galapagos Islands (Hoddle 2004; Causton et al, 2004). Preliminary results appear positive. Before the release of R. cardinalis, the mangrove stands of the town of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island were blackened and dying from the effects of the cottony cushion scale. These mangroves are now green and thriving (Charles Darwin foundation 2006a).
Countries (or multi-country features) with distribution records for Icerya purchasi
ALIEN RANGE
NATIVE RANGE
Informations on Icerya purchasi has been recorded for the following locations. Click on the name for additional informations.
Lorem Ipsum
Location Status Invasiveness Occurrence Source
Details of Icerya purchasi in information
Status
Invasiveness
Arrival date
Occurrence
Source
Introduction
Species notes for this location
Location note
Management notes for this location
Impact
Mechanism:
Outcome:
Ecosystem services:
Impact information
The cottony cushion scale Icerya purchasi causes the premature loss of fruits and leaves, dieback of branches and death of some Galapagos plants and threatens valuable natural habitats particularly mangrove stands. I. purchasi also produces large quantities of honeydew which may encourage the growth of black sooty moulds that cover the leaves of the plant preventing photosynthesis (Charles Darwin foundation 2006b).
Red List assessed species 4: CR = 4;
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Locations
ECUADOR
MONTSERRAT
SAINT HELENA
Mechanism
[4] Parasitism
Outcomes
[3] Environmental Ecosystem - Habitat
  • [2] Reduction in native biodiversity
  • [1] Habitat degradation
[2] Environmental Species - Population
  • [2] Plant/animal health
[1] Socio-Economic
  • [1] Damage to ornamentals
Management information
The Australian ladybug Rodalia cardinalis Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) has been under investigation as a potential and safe biocontrol agent for the cottony cushion scale insect in the Galapagos Islands (Hoddle 2004; Causton et al, 2004). Preliminary results appear positive. Before the release of R. cardinalis, the mangrove stands of the town of Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island were blackened and dying from the effects of the cottony cushion scale. These mangroves are now green and thriving (Charles Darwin foundation 2006a).
Locations
ECUADOR
MONTSERRAT
SAINT HELENA
Management Category
Control
Bibliography
10 references found for Icerya purchasi

Management information
Bermuda Natural History Museum, undated. Bermuda species database Bermuda Natural History Museum, PO Box FL 145, Flatts, FL BX, Bermuda.
Causton, C.E., Lincango, M.P., and Poulsom, T.G.A. 2004. Feeding range studies of Rodolia cardinalis (Mulsant), a candidate biological control agent of Icerya purchasi Maskell in the Gal�pagos Islands. Biol. Control 29(3):315-325.
Charles Darwin foundation. 2006a. Success stories.
Summary: Available from: http://www.darwinfoundation.org/en/our-work/tech-assist/biosecurity/success [Accessed 25 October 2009]
Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands, Galapagos, Ecuador. 2006b. Charles Darwin Research Station Fact Sheet Australian Ladybug � Biological Control of Cottony Cushion Scale
Cock, M.J.W., 1985. A review of biological control of pests in the Commonwealth Caribbean and Bermuda up to 1982. Published by Commonwealth Institute of Biological Control; Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux, Slough, UK. (Ref 140 from the CABI database)
Hoddle, Mark, S., 2004. Restoring Balance: Using Exotic Species to Control Invasive Exotic Species (p 38-49) Volume 18 Issue 1 , Pages 1 - 289 (February 2004)
Kenis, Marc, Marie-Anne Auger-Rozenberg, Alain Roques, Laura Timms, Christelle Pere, Matthew J. W. Cock, Josef Settele, Sylvie Augustin, Carlos Lopez-Vaamonde. 2009. Ecological effects of invasive alien insects In Langor, David W.; Sweeney, Jon ., 2009 Ecological Impacts of Non-Native Invertebrates and Fungi on Terrestrial Ecosystems ELLIBS E-BOOK
Pickup, A.R. 1999 Ascension Island Mangement Plan Published by The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sandy, Beds, UK.
General information
Gray, A. 2003. Euphorbia origanoides. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. . Downloaded on 06 November 2008
Summary: Available from: http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/43921 [Accessed 25 October 2009]
ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System), 2009. Online Database Icerya purchasi Maskell, 1878
Summary: An online database that provides taxonomic information, common names, synonyms and geographical jurisdiction of a species. In addition links are provided to retrieve biological records and collection information from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) Data Portal and bioscience articles from BioOne journals.
Available from: http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=200699 [Accessed 25 October 2009]
Contact
The following 0 contacts offer information an advice on Icerya purchasi
Icerya purchasi
cottony cushion scale
Date assessed
Year published
Eicat category
Justification for EICAT assessment
Confidence rating
Mechanism(s) of maximum impact
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Recommended citation
(2024). Icerya purchasi. IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT).