Pulvinaria floccifera
Pest description and damage The most visible stage of the cottony camellia scale is the adult female that resembles a flat, 0.125-inch diameter scale often found on the underside of a leaf. Emerging from beneath the adult female is an oblong cottony white egg mass that can be up to twice the length of the adult scale. The cottony camellia scale (sometimes called taxus scale) crawlers are flat brownish or yellowish sucking insects. Foliage with scale infestations may turn yellowish or pale in color. Due to copious honeydew, leaves below are covered with a crust of black sooty mold. The cottony camellia scale also is found on English ivy, yew, euonymus, holly, hydrangea, maple, mulberry, pittosporum, rhododendron and yew. It is possible to have low numbers of this insect for years without an outbreak.
Biology and life cycle The scale overwinter as nymphs on twigs of the leaves. In the spring, adult females lay cottony egg masses about 0.25 inch long on the underside of leaves. The eggs hatch, and the crawlers settle on the leaves along the veins to feed. There is one generation per year.
Pest monitoring Look for scale insects on the undersides of leaves above surfaces covered with honeydew and black sooty mold. Host plants may have continuous low numbers of scale or be patchy in distribution on the plant. Check for natural enemies, or evidence of parasitized scale.
Management-biological control
Small birds and parasitoids feed on the scale. It is likely that natural enemies account for the low number of scale year after year on observed plants. Low numbers of cottony camellia scale do little harm to plants, but provide parasitoids with a steady source of prey. Periodically, an outbreak of this scale may require control.
Management-chemical control
See Table 1 in:
Chemical Control of Landscape Pests
For more information
See "Scale insect" in: