Author(s):

Hanen Jendoubi

Abstract: Faunistic studies are important to register new distributional data and notify researchers of potential exotic pests. A critical review of citrus scale insect literature dealing with Tunisian records revealed the presence of 18 species. Faunistic records are scarce and scattered in taxonomic papers. The available studies lack precision and reliability. In addition, the scale insects injuring citrus trees have historically been overlooked by farmers and authorities in Tunisia unless they become destructive pests. An extensive field-survey on scale insects in all citrus regions of Tunisia was initiated, relating the obtained data to those previously reported in literature over a period of seventy years. In the present paper, we document the first comprehensive overview of the scale insect fauna associated to citrus crop in Tunisia. Twenty-two scale insect species were recorded. They belong to four families emanating from five zoogeographical areas, mainly the Palearctic. Old publications as well as origin, host plant and potential injury for each species were checked. Changes in species composition and regional distribution that might occur in citrus ecosystems were also discussed and updated.

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