Ceroplastes cirripediformis Comstock
Taxonomic placing: Insects, Hemimetabola, Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Coccomorpha, Coccoidea, Coccidae.
Common name: Barnacle scale.
Host plants: Polyphagous.
Morphology The covering scale is convex, greyish with pink spots, the female body is red-brown, about 3-5mm in length, antenna 7-segmented, ventral tubular ducts, without broad inner filaments, dorsal setae capitate.
Geographical distribution: In most of the warmer regions of the world.
Life history: This scale infests the leaves and branches of its host plants. It usually completes only one annual generation, but in Egypt it raised two. Fecundity may be over 1.000 eggs/female. Males are rare. The pest excretes much honeydew that is harvested by ants.
Economic damage: A pest of citrus, avocado, guava and many ornamentals.
Biological control: The scale is attacked by several Aphelinidae, such as Coccophagus ceroplastes Howard and Metaphycus spp., by Aprostocetus ceroplastae, by Microterys nietneri and by Scutellista caerulea. Some of these natural enemies usually control the pest, unless attacked by hyperparasites or killed by pesticides. .
References
Abd-Rabou, S. 2012. New records of host insects and distribution of the effective parasitoid, Microterys nietneri Motschulsky (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) in Egypt. The Journal of Tropical Asian Entomology 01: 29 –31.
Bakr, R.F.A., Badawy, R.M, Hamooda, L.S., Helmy, E. and Attia, S.A. 2010. Taxonomic and ecological studies on the new record, Ceroplastes cirripediformis Comstock, 1881, (Coccidae: Homoptera) at Qaliobiya governorate. Egyptian Academy Journal of Biological Sciences 3: 119-132.
Ben Dov, Y. 1993. A Systematic Catalogue of the Scale Insects of the World, with data on Geographical Distribution, Host Plants, Biology and Economic Importance. Sandhill Crane Press, Gainsville, Florida, pp. 538.
Dean, H.A. and Meyrdirk, E. 1982. Ceroplastes cirripediformis parasite complex on Texas citrus. Environmental Entomology 11: 177-180.
Marín-Loayza, R. and Cisneros-Vera, F. 1995. Ciclo de desarrollo de Ceroplastes floridensis y C. cirrípediformis (Homoptera: Coccidae). Revista Peruana de Entomologia 38: 45-54
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