Includes Parthenolecanium corni and others
Pest description and damage Scale insects are small (less than 0.125 inch in length) soft insects that live beneath waxy scales. These insects are often identified by the shape and size of their scales, the description of adult males and females, immature crawler stage, color of eggs, and host plant preferences. Lecanium scale insects are most noticeable as the female scales expand in size in the spring. As females swell in the spring, they produce large egg masses under their scales and release considerable honeydew that coats nearby foliage. Female lecanium scales are about 0.125 inch in diameter and vary from red to dark brown in color. They are oval and raised, resembling small "helmets," "turtles," or bumps on branches, and stems. Male scales are smaller, flat, and oblong. The crawlers are pale yellow and feed on the undersides of leaves. They also produce honeydew.
For biology, life history, monitoring and management
See "Scale insect" in:
Management-chemical control
See Table 1 in: