Homeowner Doctoring: Lobate Lac Scale

Got a phone call from a homeowner who describe something we would normally classify as sooty mold or maybe even lichen build up. Thank goodness, she decided to bring a sample into the Kaneohe Extension Office. Curiosity got my attention, so I re-routed to grab the sample before the weekend.

After an initial microscope screening, it appears that she may have just brought to our attention a new pest in Hawaii. Snapped a picture and sent it to our CTAHR and HDOA entomologist friends for confirmation. Funny, as I just read about this new pest on HDOA Entomologist, Darcy Oishi's facebook page a few days ago and thought...'wow... those symptoms are strange.'

http://www.kitv.com/The-little-vampire-first-detected-at-Moanalua-Gardens-in-Honolulu/-/8906042/18258636/-/ahijjz/-/index.html

SAME DAY CONFIRMATION: by CTAHR and HDOA entomologist. Dick Tsuda and Darcy Oishii