Tropical-pest
Guides
Coccus viridis
green scale, green coffee scale, coffee green scale
Coccus viridis is a soft scale insect (Hemiptera: Coccidae) and major agricultural pest with a wide tropical and subtropical distribution. It reproduces parthenogenetically via thelytoky, with females producing 50-600 eggs that hatch within minutes to hours beneath the mother's body. The species completes its life cycle in 47-51 days at 25°C, with three nymphal instars before adulthood; first-instar nymphs actively disperse as 'crawlers' while older instars and adults become sessile. It is polyphagous, feeding on phloem sap of over 200 plant genera in 72 families, with primary economic damage to coffee, guava, and cacao crops.
Eucalymnatus
tessellated scale
Eucalymnatus is a genus of soft scale insects in the family Coccidae. The best-known species, Eucalymnatus tessellatus, is native to South America and has spread to tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Species in this genus are phytophagous and can become significant pests of ornamental plants, fruit trees, and palms in nurseries and landscapes.
Ferrisia virgata
striped mealybug, grey mealybug
Ferrisia virgata, commonly known as the striped mealybug, is a highly polyphagous pest species in the family Pseudococcidae. First described from Jamaica in 1893, it spread globally within approximately a decade and is now established in all tropical and subtropical zoogeographic regions. The species is recognized by two dark dorsal longitudinal stripes and is a significant agricultural pest with a host range spanning over 203 genera in 77 plant families. It vectors plant badnavirus diseases affecting cocoa and black pepper, and has been demonstrated to acquire but not effectively transmit 'Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus', the bacterium associated with citrus huanglongbing.
Hypsipyla
Hypsipyla is a genus of snout moths (family Pyralidae, subfamily Phycitinae) established by Ragonot in 1888. The genus contains approximately 11 described species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions. Several species, notably H. robusta and H. grandella, are economically significant pests of Meliaceae trees including mahogany (Swietenia), Spanish cedar (Cedrela), and Toona. These shoot borers attack apical shoots, causing growth deformities and substantial economic losses in forestry plantations.
Nauphoeta cinerea
Cinereous Cockroach, Speckled Cockroach, Lobster Cockroach
Nauphoeta cinerea is a circumtropical cockroach species native to northeastern Africa that has achieved global distribution through human association. Commonly known as the cinereous, speckled, or lobster cockroach, this species is frequently used as a laboratory model for studying social behavior, neurobiology, and reproductive physiology. Males establish strict dominance hierarchies that determine territorial rights and mating access, with social status mediated through pheromonal communication and acoustic stridulation. The species has been documented harboring Wolbachia endosymbionts of the F clade, which may provide nutritional benefits.
Omiodes indicata
bean-leaf webworm moth, soybean leaf folder
Omiodes indicata is a small crambid moth with a wingspan of approximately 20 mm. It is a significant agricultural pest of leguminous crops across tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The species is multivoltine with overlapping generations, causing damage throughout the year.
Russellaspis
oleander pit scale, fig pit scale
Russellaspis is a genus of armored scale insects (Asterolecaniidae) known primarily from the species R. pustulans, commonly called the oleander pit scale or fig pit scale. These insects are parthenogenetic, with no known males, and are significant agricultural pests on fruit trees and ornamental plants in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. The genus is characterized by its pit-inducing feeding damage on host plants and its ability to complete multiple generations annually under favorable conditions.
Saissetia coffeae
hemispherical scale, helmet scale, coffee brown scale
Saissetia coffeae is a polyphagous soft scale insect (Coccidae) with a cosmopolitan tropical and subtropical distribution. Adults are sessile, hemispherical, and helmet-shaped, ranging 2–4.5 mm in diameter depending on host plant. The species reproduces parthenogenetically; all individuals are female. It is a significant agricultural pest of coffee, citrus, avocado, fig, guava, and numerous ornamental plants, causing damage through phloem sap feeding and honeydew secretion that promotes sooty mold growth. Multiple parasitoid wasps and predatory insects are associated with natural population regulation.
Selenothrips rubrocinctus
redbanded thrips, cacao thrips, red-banded thrips
Selenothrips rubrocinctus is a small thrips species known as the redbanded thrips, recognized by the distinctive red banding on its dark body. It is a polyphagous pest with a near pan-tropical distribution, first described from the West Indies though possibly originating in northern South America. The species is economically significant as a pest of cacao, mango, cashew, and various ornamental trees, causing leaf silvering, distortion, and fruit damage through sap-feeding. Populations exhibit seasonal dynamics tied to host plant water stress and nutritional status, with peaks typically occurring during dry seasons.