Giant-scale-insect
Guides
Crypticerya genistae
Genista Giant Scale Insect, fluted scale, channeled mealybug
Crypticerya genistae is a giant scale insect in the tribe Iceryini, native to South America and accidentally introduced to Florida by 2005, the Cayman Islands by 2006, Ecuador, and Peru. Adult females produce a distinctive large white fluted ovisac measuring 17–19 mm. The species has been recorded on at least eleven host plant species, primarily in the family Fabaceae, and appears to prefer herbaceous plants and shrubs over trees. It is considered an invasive pest in urban green areas and poses potential phytosanitary risks to agricultural crops including Cajanus cajan (pigeon pea).