Iceria (Icerya Purchasi)

An insect of the order Hemiptera, first noted in Funchal about 40 years ago and also found in São Vicente and other locations on the island. It lives on many forest and fruit tree species, as well as on various garden plants.

The Vedalia cardinalis, very similar to the small insect known in Madeira by the name of rã-rã, is the worst enemy of the iceria, so it is advisable to distribute it among the trees attacked by this hemipteran. The Vedalia lays its eggs inside the iceria's egg sac, using the larvae of the latter as food as they appear.

Each female iceria can lay 1000 eggs or even more, which are contained within a sac of waxy material secreted by her and deposited in filaments arranged laterally.