Influence of urban landscape characteristics on the invasive insect, Fiorinia phantasma, in South Florida

Urban landscapes are novel ecosystems that often foster biological invasions due to altered plant communities, habitat fragmentation, and weakened trophic interactions. Fiorinia phantasma (Hemiptera: Diaspididae), an armored scale insect native to Southeast Asia, has recently emerged as a widespread invasive pest on palms in South Florida. Despite its increasing prevalence, little is known about how urban habitat structure and host plant identity influence its population dynamics. This study investigates the role of multiscale habitat features and palm origin (native vs. non-native but geographically co-originating species from Southeast Asia) on the abundance of F. phantasma and its biological control. We surveyed F. Phantasma on native vs. non-native palms across two urban landscapes and quantified local habitat variables (vegetational complexity, impervious surface, host density) and landscape-scale attributes (suitable habitat connectivity and landscape heterogeneity). We hypothesized that F. phantasma abundance would be greater on non-native palms and in areas with high impervious surface and low vegetation complexity, where ecological resilience is reduced. Conversely, we expected native palms in heterogeneous green spaces to support lower F. phantasma abundance and enhanced natural enemy activity. Using generalized linear and mixed models, we evaluated how these multiscale factors interact to shape the invasion ecology of this urban landscape pest. Findings from this work will inform pest management, conservation planning, and the design of more resilient urban landscapes.