Resource Database

The lobate lac scale, Paratachardina pseudolobata (Kondo and Gullan) (Coccoidea: Kerriidae), native to India and Sri Lanka, was first reported on hibiscus in Broward County, Florida, in 1999 and was found on several other hosts in Broward and Miami-Dade counties in 2000. This scale was previously identified as P. lobata, but a revision of the genus resulted in its description as a new species (Kondo and Gullan 2007). It also has been subsequently identified in Hawaii. Lobate lac scale has the potential to spread in warmer parts of the United States, and with a host range of over 300 woody plant species, it poses a threat to the landscaping and nursery industries by damaging or even killing plants.