California, Mulberry, Desert and other types of scale insects. Description and photo

Scabies (Latin: Diaspididae) are insects belonging to the family of Hemoptera. Their body is covered with a shield on top, easily separating from the body, from where their name came from.

Very often, scale insects are garden pests, which can and should be controlled, since their attack can lead to the death of the whole plant. In the article you will find out what types of scale insects are, as well as what a false shield is.

Species diversity

Modern taxonomists include about 2,400 species of various insects found on almost all continents and parts of the world, except for the Arctic and Antarctic. For the first time the family was described in 1868 by the Italian entomologist Adolfo Tarjoni-Tozzetti.

Varieties: description and photo

Californian

Mostly a colonial insect that attacks more than 150 species of various plants, including garden, indoor and forest ones. Most often they can be found on apple trees and pears, plums, cherries, peaches, acacia, willow and rose bushes. In insects, sexual dimorphism is pronounced.

Reference! Sexual dimorphism is the difference between a male and a female in appearance.

• Females they have a body size of about 1.3 mm, and the diameter of an almost round shield is 2 mm. They are devoid of antennae and wings, legs and eyes are absent. The color of the shield corresponds to the plant on which they live (protective color), so it is very difficult to notice them with the naked eye. In the center of the shield - two skins of brick color, bordered by a white stripe. Taurus lemon color.
• Males they have well-developed antennae, legs and a pair of wings, purple eyes, but there is no oral apparatus. Body 0.85 mm long, brown or yellowish. Scutellum 1 mm long and 0.5 mm wide, light gray or brown, with a dark transverse stripe in the center.

Refers to quarantine facilities in the Russian Federation.

The video tells about the California scale shield:

Mulberry (White Plum)

Colonial insect that attacks not only fruit crops, but also some vegetable ones. It can be found on grapes, cherries, blackberries, quinces, acacias, as well as pumpkins, eggplants, and beets. A large number of insects in the colony leads to the death of the plant.

Important! On the territory of the Russian Federation, mulberry scale is a quarantine facility.

• Females devoid of eyes, wings and legs, motionless. The body is covered with a whitish-gray rounded flap 2-3 mm in diameter.
• Males winged, body size 0.7 mm, have a bright yellow color.

In a year, 3-5 males may take off to fertilize females, and for each period, females lay 100-200 eggs. This reproduction of offspring makes it difficult to control the pest.

The video tells about the mulberry shield:

Comma apple

Pest of many garden crops, forest park plants, shrubs. It most often affects cultivated and wild apple trees, found on pears, plums, quinces, hawthorn, currants and mulberries, as well as on representatives of the Rosaceae family.

Parthenogenetic forms mainly develop on fruit trees, and bisexual forms on ornamental and forest plants. During the growing season of plants, 1-2 generations of insects develop, which facilitates the fight against them. Eggs hibernate exclusively under the shield of a dead female.

• Females have an oblong flap 3-4 mm long. The color of the shield depends on the feed tree and merges with its bark. The body of the female is milky white, length - 0.6-0.9 mm in young insects and 1.3-1.5 mm in adults. Antennae, wings and eyes are absent.
• Males red-gray, winged, 0.5 mm long. Scutellum is two times smaller than that of a female.

Palm (Tropical polyphagous)

It affects a wide range of plants of palm origin. They stick to the sheet on the lower side, with the growth of the colony go to the upper side.

Found on tea bushes, figs, bananas. Belongs to tropical and subtropical species, however, they can live on palm trees at home in northern latitudes.

• Females flat, oval, whitish-gray shield, reaches 2.2 mm in diameter. Deprived of legs, antennae and eyes, wingless.
• Males winged, shield color - yellow.

Pear-shaped (Yellow Pear)

It affects mainly stone fruit trees - apple trees and pears, less often quinces, cherries, plums.

When attacking a tree, a characteristic red-violet spotting is noted on the fruits, which allows you to accurately determine the pest.

• Females do not have antennae, legs, eyes and wings. The body is pear-shaped, lemon yellow. Scutellum is rounded, the color depends on the feed tree - brown, red-brown, sometimes black. The diameter is 2-3 mm. Fertility of the female is 75-100 eggs per year.
• Males winged, body dark yellow. Deprived of the oral apparatus. Scutellum oval in color, the same color as that of females.

Orange (Round Orange)

Tropical and subtropical settled species everywhere. It affects mainly citrus plants, found on orchid and olive.

• Females devoid of wings, legs and antennae, as well as eyes. The body is round, 1.3-1.6 mm in diameter. Scutellum rounded, 2 mm in diameter, color varies from red-brown to black, depending on the feed plant. The edges of the scutellum are ash gray.
• In males the shield is lighter, oval in shape. Like many other scale insects, males are winged.

Orange (Red Orange)

Tropical and subtropical species, settled around the world. It attacks plants related to citrus fruits (lemons, oranges); Among fodder plants there are Japanese persimmons, olives, and grapes.

Causes rapid leaf decay and death of the entire plant.

• Females rounded or oval, with a rounded shield. The body is 1-1.5 mm in size. Shield with a diameter of 2 mm, red-brown or red-yellow.
• Males small, about 1 mm long, winged, scutellum oval yellowish. The life span of males is 6 hours.

In a year, orange scale insects produce 6–8 generations, depending on climatic conditions.

Pine (Common Pine)

It affects coniferous trees - pine, spruce, cedar, larch, thuja, causing decay of needles and branches, with large colonies - the death of the whole plant. Distributed everywhere.

It is difficult to eradicate, because they hide under the bark and needles.

• Females small, 1 mm in length, scutellum rounded grayish, slightly widened to posterior end. The diameter of the shield is 1.5-2 mm.
• Males small winged, scutellum paler in color than females.

Other

1. Cactus Scale - affects cactus plants, especially dangerous for indoor cacti.
2. Laurel scale.
3. Oleander shield.
4. Ivy scale.
5. Pink scale shield, etc.

False shield - what is it?

False shieldworms belong to the same suborder as scaleworms, but are representatives of another family. There are about 1100 species. They differ in size - from 3 to 7-8 mm in diameter or length.

False shields do not have a shield; they are imitated by the dead and dried skin of the female after molting, which does not create a bulge and remains flat. Also false shields have no waxy shell. In addition, they do not give off sticky, sticky secretions.

The video tells about the false shield:

Scaleflies are found almost everywhere and are serious pests of many plants. When colonies are resettled, they can completely destroy the plant. They are dangerous in that they can be transferred on cuttings or inoculations, since insects hide under the bark and it is quite difficult to notice them. Large species diversity and high fertility make it difficult to control the pest.

Watch the video: Organic Ant Control For Fruit Trees (December 2024).