Kauaʻi record · KCA-IA-00667
Black Scale
Saissetia oleae
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About Black Scale
Black Scale (Saissetia oleae) is a member of Coccidae in the order Hemiptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced / adventive.
Black Scale (Saissetia oleae) is documented from Kauaʻi. Soft scale insects are sessile plant sap feeders. Females are wingless and often dome-shaped; the first-instar crawler is the main mobile immature stage. On Kauaʻi, observations are most useful when they record host plant, plant part, adult/crawler stage, honeydew/sooty mold, ants and natural enemies. Where island-specific host, prey, breeding-site, abundance, or seasonal information is not yet firmly documented, those details should remain tied to direct specimens and field observations rather than inferred from populations elsewhere.
Black Scale (Saissetia oleae) is a sap-feeding soft scale insect documented on Kauaʻi. Adult females are immobile dome-shaped scales; crawler nymphs are visually distinct and should be separately identifiable.
Kauaʻi occurrence evidence: Hawaii Biological Survey documented black scale on red ginger at ʻŌmaʻo and on ʻaʻaliʻi at Kōkeʻe.
The cited occurrence evidence does not by itself establish current abundance or population trend on Kauaʻi.
Life cycle
Egg; immature/nymphal stages; adult; no pupa.
Habitat
Leaves, twigs, branches and stems of host plants.
Food and ecological role
Plant sap.
Reproduction
Females produce eggs or crawlers beneath or around the body; warm climates may support multiple generations.
Movement
Crawlers disperse locally; infested plant material can move populations.
Ecosystem role
Plant sap feeder and honeydew producer.
Threats and impacts
Heavy infestations can weaken plants and promote sooty mold; host range determines impact.
Monitoring
Record host plant, plant part, adult/crawler stage, honeydew/sooty mold, ants and natural enemies.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Saissetia oleae
- Common names
- Black Scale
- Family
- Coccidae
- Order
- Hemiptera
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Present
- Origin
- Introduced / adventive
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal description
- Black Scale (Saissetia oleae) is a member of Coccidae in the order Hemiptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced / adventive.