One threat to some of Ascension’s endemic and native plants is attack by introduced scale insects (including mealybug). This threat was encountered during an Overseas Territories Environment Programme (OTEP) project, “An Ecosystem Approach to Plant Conservation on Ascension Island”. Five new records of scale insects have recently (2014) been identified by the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA), who suspect that these pests could have adverse effects upon the endemic plants of Ascension, as has been the case in other UK Overseas Territories. |