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Past works on scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccoidea) from the Maltese Archipelago are reviewed. Based on the literature and contemporary collections, a total of 93 species of scale insects belonging to 12 scale insect families are here reported (Aclerdidae 1 species; Asterolecaniidae 4; Coccidae 17; Diaspididae 46; Eriococcidae 5; Kermesidae 1; Margarodidae 1; Micrococcidae 1; Monophlebidae 2; Pseudoccocidae 11; Putoidae 2 and Rhizoecidae 2). Of these, 17 species represent new distribution records. Ten species are excluded from the scale insect fauna of the Maltese Islands. Of the 93 species present, only 29 (31.18%) are probably indigenous and the rest (68.82%) represent established introductions from elsewhere. More than 65% of the indigenous species are typical Mediterranean in distribution, with a few species having a mainly European chorotype. A quarter of the established aliens originate from Eurasia, followed by an East Asian/ Oriental component (20.31%); European (14.06%); Neotropical (14.06%); cryptogenic (14.06%); African (7.81%) and Australasian (4.70%). Movement of live fruit trees and ornamental plants into the Maltese Archipelago from nearby countries is probably the main route for entry of alien scale insects into the country. Some possible future introductions are discussed., peer-reviewed

In recent years there have been a number of faunistic studies on the whitefly fauna of the Mediterranean Basin. A total of 56 species accommodated within 25 genera were recorded from Europe and countries bordering the Mediterranean Basin (Martin et al., 2000). The whitefly fauna of the Maltese Islands was thoroughly investigated with 13 species recorded (Mifsud, 1995; Mifsud & Palmieri, 1996). Mifsud (1995) suggested that other whitefly species could eventually be found in Malta mainly due to their typical Mediterranean distribution and availability of their host plant/so One such species, Aleurolobus olivinus (Silvestri), was recently collected in Malta and it thus represents a new record for this country., peer-reviewed