Kilifia acuminata (Signoret)
(Formerly known as Lecanium acuminatum Signoret)
Common name Mango shield scale, acuminate scale.
Taxonomic placing: Insecta, Hemimetabola, Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Coccomorpha, Coccoidea Coccidae.
Distribution: In most warm regions of the world.
Morphology: Body broadly oval, pear-like, pale green or yellow green; without an obvious wax covering nor an ovisac, about 2-3 mm in length. Devoid of tubular ducts. The two posterior pairs of legs much larger than the front pair. Marginal setae conspicuously fringed, anal plates longer than wide.
Host plants: Polyphagous, infesting leaves of fruit trees like citrus, guava, mango and pear as well as various ornamentals.
Life history: On mango this parthenogenetic pest raised two annual generations, producing up to 420 eggs/female in autumn, about 370/female in spring. It usually occurs on the lower sides of host leaves.
Economic importance: An important pest of mango in Egypt.
Management
Chemical control: Organophosphates, biodux and oils provided good control.
Biological control: The parasitoids Metaphycus , Encyrtidae, Coccophagus (Aphelinidae) and Scutellista caerulea (formerly known as Scutellista cyanea Motschulsky) (Pteromalidae) are major natural enemies of K. acuminata.
References
Badary, H. and Abd-Rabou, S. 2011 Role of pteromalid parasitoid Scutellista caerulea (Fonscolombe) (Hymenoptera: Pteromalidae) for biological control of the soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccidae) in Egypt. Egyptian Academic Journal of Biological Sciences 4: 49-58.
Ben-dov, Y. 1979. A taxonomic study of the soft-scale genus Kilifia (Coccidae). Systematic Entomology 4: 311-324.
Hafez, M., Salama, H.S. and Saleh, M.R. 1971. Survival and development of Lecanium acuminatum Sign. (Coccoidea) on a host plant and artificial diets. Zeitschrift für Angewandte Entomologie 69: 182-186.
Nabil, H.A. 2013. Relationship between Kilifia acuminate (Signoret) and chlorophyll percentage loss on mango leaves. Journal of Entomology 10: 110-114.
Nada, S., Abd Rabo, S. and Hussein, G.E.D. 1990. Scale insects infesting mango trees in Egypt (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Proceedings of the Sixth International Symposium of Scale Insects Studies, Cracow, Poland, pp. 133-134.
Salama, H.S. and Saleh, M.R. 1971. Some ecological aspects of the soft scale Lecanium acuminatum Signoret (Coccoidea). Zeitschrift für Angewandte Entomologie 68: 98-101.
Soliman, M.M.M., Kwaiz, F.A.M. and Shalby, Sh.E.M. 2007. Efficiency of certain miscible oils and chlorpyriphos methyl insecticide against the soft scale insect, Kilifia acuminata Signoret (Homoptera: Coccidae) and their toxicities on rats. Archives of Phytopathology and Plant Protection 40: 237-245.
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