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Latin Name: Chionaspis pinifoliae
Common Name: Pine Needle Scale
Latin Family Name: Diaspididae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:Native to North America, and found throughout the country and Canada. It attacks a wide variety of pines, spruces, and cypress species.
Biology:
Mature females overwinter, often with eggs already deposited under their wax cover. Eggs hatch in early spring, and the mobile crawlers move to positions on the previous year’s needles, where they then insert their mouthparts and become sessile, remaining at that site for their life. As the nymphs molt they retain the caste skin and incorporate it as part of a protective cover over themselves, creating the distinctive “oyster” shell appearance. After mating the mature female then produces the wax cover and deposits up to 60 eggs beneath it. There may be 2 generations each year.
Identification:Mature females are about
Latin Name: Quadraspidiotus perniciousus
Common Name: San Jose Scale
Latin Family Name: Diaspididae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:Native to the Orient, and introduced on imported plants around 1870, where it was discovered in the area of San Jose, California. It since spread throughout the U.S. to become a devastating pest on fruit trees such as apple, plum, pear, cherry, peach, gooseberry, apricot, and others. With the introduction of DDT and other persistent insecticides in the 1940s this scale nearly disappeared from crops, but has since begun a resurgence due to lack of management and decreased spraying.
Biology:
The scales attack foliage, stems, and developing fruit, causing discoloration of the fruit and dieback of twigs and branches. With heavy infestations an overall loss of health causes entire trees to die. The overwintering stage is the second instar, which is fastened to the bark of the tree. With warming
Latin Name: Stomacoccus platani
Common Name: Sycamore Scale
Latin Family Name: Margarodidae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:Uncertain, but possibly native to North America.
Biology:
The scale is unusual in that mature forms may still be mobile, and it is these that move from leaves to bark to overwinter. In late winter the eggs are produced and the mobile crawlers move to leaf buds as they begin to open in early spring, settling on undersides of leaves to feed. After feeding the mature scales once again move to the bark to produce eggs for the next generation, and there usually are several generations each year. Only varieties of sycamore trees are attacked by this scale. They may also feed on soft bark, causing a roughened texture to it. Feeding on the leaves causes small yellow spots which then turn brown as the tissue dies. Young leaves may grow in a distorted manner and prematurely drop from
Latin Name: Eulecanium tiliae
Common Name: Thorn Scale
Latin Family Name: Coccidae
Other Names: Nut scale
Pest Details
Origin:Possibly European in origin, as it is found commonly throughout Europe and in Asia, as well as in much of North America.
Biology:
Feeds on a wide variety of ornamental woody plants and trees. It is not a particularly important species, judging from the lack of literature on it. One generation per year, adult females overwinter and produce eggs in the spring, mobile crawlers then move to softer tissues to feed and eventually settle in with their mouthparts embedded in the twigs. At this point they remain in place and begin to form the wax shell over themselves.
Identification:This is a fairly large scale with adults over 6 mm in length. Their color is variable, but generally yellowish brown to dark brown with reddish to dark brown stripes running across the wax shell,
Latin Name: Toumeyella liriodendri
Common Name: Tulip Tree Scale
Latin Family Name: Coccidae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:Native to North America.
Biology:
Immature stages overwinter on the bark of the tree, resuming activity and feeding in the spring and maturing to adult females in the summer. The female produces large numbers of eggs under her wax cover, and these hatch to the mobile crawler stage in late summer. Tulip and magnolia trees are most commonly infested, but these scales also may be found on hickory, redbud, walnut, and others. There is a single generation each year. The expired scale of the female may persist on the tree for one or two years after she is dead, leading to concern that an infestation is continuing. Heavy infestations can kill smaller trees, and cause branch dieback on larger trees.
Identification:This is a relatively large scale, and as the adult female presents
Latin Name: Ceroplastes Spp.
Common Name: Wax Scale
Latin Family Name: Coccidae
Other Names: Wax scale
Pest Details
Origin:Presumed to be native to the Oriental region, but now found throughout the world in temperate and tropical climates.
Biology:
The Wax scales in the genus Ceroplastes attack over 50 different ornamental and forest plants, including holly, pyracantha, juniper, hemlock, boxwood, gardenia, and others, including citrus. The visible scale is the female, which overwinters in this stage. In the spring hundreds of eggs are deposited within the scale, and these hatch to the crawler stage. This mobile stage will move to other parts of the plant. They eventually settle in after they molt and become sessile as well, covering themselves with layers of wax they produce. Males are virtually unknown for some wax scale species. There may be 2 or more generations per year.
Identification:Latin Name: Pseudophilippia quaintancii
Common Name: Wooly Pine Scale
Latin Family Name: Coccidae
Other Names: Wooly Sac Scale
Pest Details
Origin:Native to North America
Biology:
The scale is unique to conifers, producing large quantities of white, fluffy wax during late spring to early summer. When infestations are heavy the tree appears covered with snow. The scales concentrate at the ends of branches and along the base of needles. They have the potential to cause severe yellowing of needles and dieback of infested branches.
Identification:Associated only with various species of pines, the adult female scale is about 2 mm long, somewhat circular or oval in shape, and greenish brown. However, the copious production of white wax usually covers the scales completely as the infestation matures.
Characteristicts Important to Control:
Trees under stress from environmental conditions
Latin Name: Mus musculus
Common Name: House Mouse
Latin Family Name: Muridae
Other Names: Field mouse
Pest Details
Origin:This species originated in Eastern Asia in arid grasslands, allowing it to evolve the ability to survive without needing frequent water. It now occurs throughout the world.
Biology:
A prolific breeder, the House Mouse is sexually mature at 2 months old, has a gestation period of only 3 weeks, and averages 5 to 8 young per litter, but potentially up to 15. Each female may give birth to 8 litters. The life span can be from 2 to 3 years. The House Mouse is a nibbler, consuming small quantities of food at many feedings. They are “curious”, and tend to investigate new objects that are placed in their environment. Favored foods may be grains, dried fruits, nuts, and sweet materials. They are known reservoirs of diseases such as rickettsial pox (mites), typhus (fleas), and filth problems
Latin Name: Rattus norvegicus
Common Name: Norway Rat
Latin Family Name: Muridae
Other Names: Brown rat, ship rat, wharf rat, sewer rat, gray rat, barn rat, burrowing rat, water rat, common rat, house rat, migratory rat, wander-rat
Pest Details
Origin:Evolved in Central Asia, but reached Europe in the 1700’s, the United States later that century, and now it is found throughout the world. It is a rodent of cooler climates, but now also infests many tropical environments as well, primarily in the seaport areas.
Biology:
This rat is commonly sold as a “pet rat”, and has been bred for white coloration as “lab rats” as well, leading to the occurrence of white and brown marked races. It is primarily a ground dweller, although it can climb very well, and prefers to reside in burrows. It swims very well and often lives in sewers and other underground water systems. It is primarily a nocturnal animal, and will
Latin Name: Rattus rattus
Common Name: Roof Rat
Latin Family Name: Muridae
Other Names: Black rat, ship rat, house rat, tree rat, climbing rat, white-bellied rat. Also as two subspecies called the fruit rat (Rattus rattus frugivorous) and the Alexandrine Rat (R. r. alexandrinus).
Pest Details
Origin:Native to forested areas in Southeast Asia, but transported into Europe by caravans as early as the 11th century. It was the common structural rat in Europe during the Black Death episode in the 14th Century. It arrived in the United States somewhere in the 1500’s, although this is not certain. In the U.S. it is not as widespread as the Norway Rat, generally staying within 100 miles of a coastline, and occurring throughout cities from Washington to southern California, along the Gulf Coast and up the entire eastern seaboard.
Biology:
The Roof Rat is an “arboreal” animal, preferring to live above ground level