Saissetia coffeae (Walker, 1852)

Mifsud, David, Mazzeo, Gaetana, Russo, Agatino & Watson, Gillian W., 2014, The scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) of the Maltese Archipelago, Zootaxa 3866 (4), pp. 499-525 : 505

Saissetia coffeae (Walker, 1852)

Borg (1898; 1919) recorded this species as Lecanium hemisphaericum Targ. and Borg (1932) as Saissetia hemisphaerica (Targioni Tozzetti) . The latter report stated that it is “frequent, and often common, on Schinus molle , Antigonon leptopus , species of Begonia and Aralia, Ferns , Cestrum fastigiatum , Cycas revoluta , etc. Rare on Citrus trees.” Saliba (1963) recorded it as fairly common on citrus. Ferns are a favoured host of this insect.

Material examined: MALTA, Bir id-Deheb, 27.iii.1994, 1 ♀ on Dieffenbachia sp. , DM; Żejtun, 13.xi. 2004, 2 ♀♀ on Phalenopsis sp., DM; Qawra, 12.ii.2012, 4 ♀♀ on Olea europaea, CM ; Qawra, 13.ii.2012, 2 ♀♀ on Adiantum capillus-veneris, CM. GOZO, Kercem, Dawara Valley , 16.iii.1994, 5 ♀♀ on A. capillus-veneris, DM .