Iceplant scale

Appearance

Body oval to circular; moderately convex in cross section; body green in newly formed females turning reddish brown in older females; without obvious wax covering except just before oviposition when covered with sparse mealy secretion; ovisac produced beneath and behind female, convex, often with mediodorsal goove, white, flocculent, about 1 or 2 times length of body. Occurring on succulent leaves of host. Males are common. Eggs laid inside ovisac.
Marginal setae spinelike, usually curved, with simple apices; without submarginal tubercles; anal plates each with 1 subdiscal seta.

Naming

Other common name: Cottony pigface scale

Vallot named this species mesembryanthemi after the genus of some ice plants, in 1829.

Synonyms:
Calypticus mesembrianthemi Costa, 1844
Icerya mesembryanthemi Peringuey, 1893
Pulvinaria mesembrianthemi Signoret, 1873
Pulvinaria biplicata Targioni Tozzetti, 1868
Coccus mesembryanthemi Vallot, 1829

Distribution

Originated in southern Africa. Wide distribution in southern Europe and South America. Imported in California, Australia and New Zealand.

Food

Found on the stems and leaves of: Mesembryanthemum spp., Lampranthus spp., Diphysma australe