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Citrus Armored Scale And Mealy Bug By Tim Braun
There are three types of armored scale attacking California and Arizona citrus: Red Scale,
Yellow Scale and Purple Scale. If armored scale insects are found on the mature wood of citrus it is
probably citrus red scale. Both red scale and yellow scale are treated the same because of their
biology systems. Citrus yellow scale is not often found on mature wood. Citrus red scale is found on
fruit, leaves and mature wood and this is one way of identifying the red from the yellow scale. The
Purple scale is considered to be an occasional pest in California where it infects the entire tree.
Armored female scales lay 10 to 150 eggs while the soft scale females need to lay 300 to 2000
eggs to allow the species to survive. The eggs of citrus red and yellow scales are laid under a cover
(their armor) that is firmly attached to the citrus plant or tree. The eggs hatch in a about one to three
weeks. The nymph that hatch from the armored scale eggs are referred to as crawlers. The nymphs
leave the cover seeking a feeding spot within one to two days to stay alive. Armored scale crawlers
inject their piercing, sucking mouth parts in to plant tissues. The plant tissues that the armored scale
inject their piercing sucking mouth parts into include plant tissues other than the phloem. Because
armored scale feed from plant tissues other than the sugar laden phloem, they do not produce
honeydew.
Once the armored scales find a suitable feeding site they begin producing their armor or cover by
exuding waxy filaments, caste skins from molting and glue from their body. The cover or armor is not
attached to the body of the armored scale. It is attached to the plant surface and provides protection
from the environment, weather and predators. The shape of the armor cover for the male armor scale
takes on a elongated shape during its second instar. The red scale female’s armor becomes circular
with a raised pimple in its center. Armored scale females stay under their cover for the rest of their
life. They have a total of two instars molting two times. The female then grows to become an adult.
The armored female scale loses her legs and antenna after the first instar. Armored female scales
can also reproduce asexually giving birth to live male and female nymphs. She produces a pheromone
that attracts the male for sexual reproduction. Females undergo simple metamorphosis. She goes
through two instars and a growth stage before becoming an adult. Female armored scales do not go
through a pupa stage before becoming an adult.
The male armored scale goes through a complete metamorphosis. It has two instar growths, molting
two times. Then the male armored scale goes through two pupa stages where it changes into a flying
adult insect, with only one set of wings. The male armored scale adult follows the pheromone trail put
out by the adult female armored scale and mates with her and dies.
The California armored red scale and armored yellow scale are found throughout the citrus growing
regions of California. In the Coachella Valley armored scale are under an eradication program that
effectively keeps them under control. Arizona has occasional outbreaks of citrus armored red scale in
the Phoenix and Yuma areas. The Arizona Department of Agriculture and The Yuma County Citrus
Pest Control Districts both have programs to monitor for California red scale and abate infestations.
All control efforts are currently being administrated through these agencies and they have been
effective.
California armored red scale can damage all of the above ground citrus leaves, fruit, twigs and
branches by sucking on the plant tissues. These tissues include the mesophyll cells and damage
creates leaf stippling, yellow spotting on fruit and leaves, branch dieback and will in some cases they
kill trees. Armored scales don’t feed on the vascular cells (phloem) therefore they do not produce
honeydew that creates the black sooty mold.
Like other warm weather insects armored scale build up and damage orchards as the weather
warms up in the late summer and fall months as moisture stress increases. The crawlers are moved
from plant to plant by the wind, equipment, birds and anything else they can ride on from plant to
plant. After they dessicate.twigs, leaves and fruit that have armored scales when moved about the
orchard can also be a source of infestation The male armored scale is a weak flyer, but they can
move about with the aid of the wind.
The scale cling to the fruit, leaves, twigs and branches. When these rounded insects are pried from
the leaf and bark surfaces they leave a white ring shaped mark. The red scale live insect is then
visible and can be used in estimating the infestation. The female red scale, if alive, will be plump and
the dead ones are dried up. Red and yellow armored scale females do not have legs or antenna when
in there 2nd instar and adult stages of growth.
California red scale is a key pest in the state of California and because it still occurs in parts of
Arizona, districts like the one in Yuma have been instituted to control this pest. Yellow scale is almost
completely controlled by parasites and is not considered to be a problem in either state. In the cooler
regions of California which includes the coastal areas and inland citrus growing areas of southern
California biological control of red scale is used successfully.
The heavy use of organophosphates and carbamates allowed the red and yellow scale to acquire
resistance to them in the 1990s. The shift by growers to the use of oil treatments, insect growth
regulators and releases of the predator, aphytis, give good control of the scale.
Aphytis melinus is a wasp that lays an egg beneath the cover of the scale. After hatching the
Aphytis larva chews on the scale inside of the scale’s armor cover. Aphytis is considered to be an
ectoparasite not a parasite because it feeds from the outside. It doesn’t hatch as an egg inside the
scale, it hatches outside and feeds from there. After the Aphytis becomes an adult it chews a small
hole in the armor cover to leave. This predator wasp, Aphytis melinus, is very prolific having two to
three generations while the scale is going through one of its generations. The adult wasp, Aphytis
melinus, is similar to the male adult scale, but the adult male scale has only one set of wings with long
antennae and a dark band around its back.
Another predator of armored scale is called the Comperiella bifasciata. It will leave a larger hole in
the armor if it has parasatized the scale. If the scale cover that is parasatized is turned over the dead
scale will be flat. The wasp’s cast off skin and fecal pellets will be present. Aphytis melinus are
available for purchase and are used for red scale control in citrus growing areas of California.
The soft scale and the mealybugs produce honey dew that attracts the ants especially the
Argentine ant in southern California and the native gray ant in the San Joaquin Valley. Ants that tend
these soft scale will disrupt the activity of the red scale parasites. Both of the predators are hampered
by dust, manure mulch dust, and ash from brush fires. If whitewash or kaolin clays are applied wait
until the end of the season when the predators have done their job.
Growers that use the Aphytis predator releases to supplement the natural biological control of
armored scale have been successful. Thrips and grassy wing sharpshooters infestations in the spring
require the use of harsh pesticides. These pesticides include: carbamates, organophosphates, Assail,
Danitol and Baythroid. The use of predator friendly BT’s for the worms, and spinosad, sabadilla and
abamectin for thrips reduces the need for these harsher pesticides.
Aphytis wasps can be killed by pesticide residues. Lorsban residues lasts 3 to 6 weeks. Supracide
lasts for 9 weeks and Sevin lasts for 5 months. Putting Aphytis wasps in a jar with leaves from fields
treated with pesticides recently while placing wasps in jars with untreated leaves to show wasp vigor
will show whether a wasp release is feasible.
Releases of 100,000 Aphytis wasp per acre per year should start about April 15. Release 5 to 10
thousand per acre every 2 weeks. During the spring months release 50,000. Then in the summer
months release 25,000 with a release of another 25,00 during the fall months. During the middle of
June to the middle of July when second and third instars aren’t available stop releases then continue
releases until mid November. During the late releases apply Aphytis wasps to the heaviest scale
infested areas. Reduce releases to sixty to seventy thousand in the third to fourth year. By then the
predator populations won’t need the high release numbers. When releasing the wasps apply at every
sixth tree in every sixth row.
Groves in southern California have enough natural Aphytis wasps present and releases of about
10,000 per acre every two weeks in April and May should be enough for control of the scale. Young
trees of grapefruit and lemons may need annual releases in the fall months if biological control is not
working.
Pheromones are being used to monitor the male armor scales in the San Joaquin valley citrus
groves. Pheromone traps tell: when the male flights occur, the amount of infestation by orchard, when
to treat if needed. Degree days are used to estimate when the male scale flights are occurring. The
pheromone traps monitor the male scale during the first (May), second (June-July) and fourth (Sept-
Oct) flights. In the San Joaquin valley when an average of more than one thousand one set of wings
adults are trapped at the fourth flight and fruit is infested with scale, treatment is planned for the next
season. Place traps in March. Change the sticky cards weekly and the lures monthly. Put 2 to 4 traps
in each 10 acre block.
These pheromone traps aren’t reliable when Aphystis are being depended upon for scale control.
Aphystis wasps reduce female scale populations. The traps only monitor the male scale populations.
When insect growth regulators that kill more adult males than females are used the adult male count is
too low to be useful in control measures. When either of these conditions exist use fruit scale
infestations instead of pheromone trap monitoring system. Visual scale monitoring should be used with
pheromone monitoring, but visual monitoring should be used instead of pheromone monitoring when
predator release or growth regulators are used to control red scale.
Acceptable methods of scale control include oil sprays, predator releases and brushing or high
pressure washing of the citrus fruit in the packing house.
There are several pesticides registered for scale control including: Narrow Range Oil, Growth
regulators Esteem and Applaud (toxic to vedalia beetles), Admire, Lorsban, Sevin, and Supracide.
Follow label directions.
Because of the need for predators in armor scale control in citrus the use of pesticides that are
selective is practiced by citrus growers especially in the San Joaquin Valley. The use of spray oils in
armored scale control is one of the most selective pesticides used. There is the possibility of tree
injury. Spray oils are classified by numbers for the distillation range of oils. The heavier the distillation
range is the better the control. The drawback to using heavy oils is the damage they can cause to the
trees. The distillation range for citrus spray oils is between 415 to 440. The higher the number the
heavier the distillation range and the greater the damage potential. Timing is based on
temperatures. Spray oils are selective for scale control and have a short residual period. The oil
will penetrate the scales armor. Warm temperatures above 85 to 95 degrees F. and humidity below 20
to 30 % should be avoided. When smog is very high, oil spraying of citrus should be avoided.
Purple Armored Scale
The armor or cover of the purple scale is shaped like a mussel shell. The male scale cover is similar
to the female scale but it is shorter and narrower. Adult male purple scales have wings and they
search for female purple scales to mate. Female purple scales lay 40 to 50 eggs under her cover. The
eggs hatch as crawlers and look for a feeding site on branches, twigs, leaves or fruit. The crawlers
insert their piercing mouth parts and begin feeding. They secrete waxy threads until they are half
grown when a brown cover with a purplish tinge forms over them.
Purple scales are found in the cooler, shady parts of the trees. When temperatures rise to 80
degrees F. they succumb to this degree of heat. They are found in the cooler coastal areas of
California. They have two generations between May and October with a partial generation before it
gets too cold for them.
Purple scale is an occasional pest in citrus. If the weather is mild and humid they can become an
infestation that can defoliate and cause dieback. This is usually on the north side of the tree. Usually
predators will control this pest, but if an outbreak occurs it will usually be in spots that should be
treated. If the infestation of purple scale is throughout the grove treat every fourth to sixth row to
conserve the predators. Do this every 4 to 6 weeks through the season. Pesticides include: Narrow
Range Oil, Lorsban, Sevin or Supracide,
In Arizona and California mealybug is a sporadic pest. The older groves with heavy foliage is where
outbreaks of mealybug occur. There are four mealybug species found in the Arizona and California
citrus: the Citrus Mealybug, Comstock Mealybug, Longtailed and the Citrophilus. Citrus Mealybug
infestations is the most likely to require treatments. In the lemon groves of the San Joaquin Valley the
Comstock Mealybug has been an occasional pest requiring treatment.
The most commonly found, Citrus Mealybug, has a pink body that can be seen through the white
wax powder. The Comstock Mealybug has a thicker white wax cover of its body with two spines at the
posterior end that are one quarter the length of its body. The Citrophilus Mealybug has filaments
extending from its posterior with two dark stripes and it exudes two red liquid bubbles of fluid when
defending themselves. The Longtailed Mealy bug has visibly long filaments extending from its
posterior and it is the only citrus mealybug pest that must mate sexually to produce young. The other
citrus pest mealybugs can reproduce with or without mating.
Mealy bugs are soft scale insects with sucking mouthparts that they use to suck sugar liquids from
the plant’s phloem. Mealybugs produce honeydew and in turn black sooty mold. Both the male and
female move about through their life history. The male has egg, instar, pupa and winged adult life
stages. The female has egg, instar and wingless adult life stages.
Mealybugs are usually controlled by predators. When they cause damage like yellowing, split fruit,
leaf drop or tree death they are controlled by repeated spraying of Lorsban. Releases of a predator
called the Mealybug Destroyer has been very sucessful. The destroyer larvae look like a mealybug
and is twice as large. It tends to die out in the winter therefore releases of 500 per acre are required
for control.
The use of trade names in this course is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. It is
not a guarantee or warranty of the products named, and does not signify that they are approved to
the exclusion of others of suitable composition. Use pesticides safely. Read and follow directions on
the manufacturer’s label.
Acknowledgements:
http://news.ucanr.org/newsstorymain.cfm?story=224
citrus E-newsletter No. 1 June2002
Kerns, David; Wright, Glenn; Loghry, John; Citrus Anthropod Management in Arizona
University of Arizona College of Agriculture
Reprinted from "Effectively Managing Scale Insect Pests in the Urban Landscape" by Steven K.
Rettke, RCRE Ornamental IPM Program Associate, in the March 16, 2006 edition of the Plant and
Pest Advisory, Landscape, Nursery, and Turf edition, Rutgers University
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG005
://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/scalenet/scalenet.htmnnnn
There are three types of armored scale attacking California and Arizona citrus: Red Scale,
Yellow Scale and Purple Scale. If armored scale insects are found on the mature wood of citrus it is
probably citrus red scale. Both red scale and yellow scale are treated the same because of their
biology systems. Citrus yellow scale is not often found on mature wood. Citrus red scale is found on
fruit, leaves and mature wood and this is one way of identifying the red from the yellow scale. The
Purple scale is considered to be an occasional pest in California where it infects the entire tree.
Armored female scales lay 10 to 150 eggs while the soft scale females need to lay 300 to 2000
eggs to allow the species to survive. The eggs of citrus red and yellow scales are laid under a cover
(their armor) that is firmly attached to the citrus plant or tree. The eggs hatch in a about one to three
weeks. The nymph that hatch from the armored scale eggs are referred to as crawlers. The nymphs
leave the cover seeking a feeding spot within one to two days to stay alive. Armored scale crawlers
inject their piercing, sucking mouth parts in to plant tissues. The plant tissues that the armored scale
inject their piercing sucking mouth parts into include plant tissues other than the phloem. Because
armored scale feed from plant tissues other than the sugar laden phloem, they do not produce
honeydew.
Once the armored scales find a suitable feeding site they begin producing their armor or cover by
exuding waxy filaments, caste skins from molting and glue from their body. The cover or armor is not
attached to the body of the armored scale. It is attached to the plant surface and provides protection
from the environment, weather and predators. The shape of the armor cover for the male armor scale
takes on a elongated shape during its second instar. The red scale female’s armor becomes circular
with a raised pimple in its center. Armored scale females stay under their cover for the rest of their
life. They have a total of two instars molting two times. The female then grows to become an adult.
The armored female scale loses her legs and antenna after the first instar. Armored female scales
can also reproduce asexually giving birth to live male and female nymphs. She produces a pheromone
that attracts the male for sexual reproduction. Females undergo simple metamorphosis. She goes
through two instars and a growth stage before becoming an adult. Female armored scales do not go
through a pupa stage before becoming an adult.
The male armored scale goes through a complete metamorphosis. It has two instar growths, molting
two times. Then the male armored scale goes through two pupa stages where it changes into a flying
adult insect, with only one set of wings. The male armored scale adult follows the pheromone trail put
out by the adult female armored scale and mates with her and dies.
The California armored red scale and armored yellow scale are found throughout the citrus growing
regions of California. In the Coachella Valley armored scale are under an eradication program that
effectively keeps them under control. Arizona has occasional outbreaks of citrus armored red scale in
the Phoenix and Yuma areas. The Arizona Department of Agriculture and The Yuma County Citrus
Pest Control Districts both have programs to monitor for California red scale and abate infestations.
All control efforts are currently being administrated through these agencies and they have been
effective.
California armored red scale can damage all of the above ground citrus leaves, fruit, twigs and
branches by sucking on the plant tissues. These tissues include the mesophyll cells and damage
creates leaf stippling, yellow spotting on fruit and leaves, branch dieback and will in some cases they
kill trees. Armored scales don’t feed on the vascular cells (phloem) therefore they do not produce
honeydew that creates the black sooty mold.
Like other warm weather insects armored scale build up and damage orchards as the weather
warms up in the late summer and fall months as moisture stress increases. The crawlers are moved
from plant to plant by the wind, equipment, birds and anything else they can ride on from plant to
plant. After they dessicate.twigs, leaves and fruit that have armored scales when moved about the
orchard can also be a source of infestation The male armored scale is a weak flyer, but they can
move about with the aid of the wind.
The scale cling to the fruit, leaves, twigs and branches. When these rounded insects are pried from
the leaf and bark surfaces they leave a white ring shaped mark. The red scale live insect is then
visible and can be used in estimating the infestation. The female red scale, if alive, will be plump and
the dead ones are dried up. Red and yellow armored scale females do not have legs or antenna when
in there 2nd instar and adult stages of growth.
California red scale is a key pest in the state of California and because it still occurs in parts of
Arizona, districts like the one in Yuma have been instituted to control this pest. Yellow scale is almost
completely controlled by parasites and is not considered to be a problem in either state. In the cooler
regions of California which includes the coastal areas and inland citrus growing areas of southern
California biological control of red scale is used successfully.
The heavy use of organophosphates and carbamates allowed the red and yellow scale to acquire
resistance to them in the 1990s. The shift by growers to the use of oil treatments, insect growth
regulators and releases of the predator, aphytis, give good control of the scale.
Aphytis melinus is a wasp that lays an egg beneath the cover of the scale. After hatching the
Aphytis larva chews on the scale inside of the scale’s armor cover. Aphytis is considered to be an
ectoparasite not a parasite because it feeds from the outside. It doesn’t hatch as an egg inside the
scale, it hatches outside and feeds from there. After the Aphytis becomes an adult it chews a small
hole in the armor cover to leave. This predator wasp, Aphytis melinus, is very prolific having two to
three generations while the scale is going through one of its generations. The adult wasp, Aphytis
melinus, is similar to the male adult scale, but the adult male scale has only one set of wings with long
antennae and a dark band around its back.
Another predator of armored scale is called the Comperiella bifasciata. It will leave a larger hole in
the armor if it has parasatized the scale. If the scale cover that is parasatized is turned over the dead
scale will be flat. The wasp’s cast off skin and fecal pellets will be present. Aphytis melinus are
available for purchase and are used for red scale control in citrus growing areas of California.
The soft scale and the mealybugs produce honey dew that attracts the ants especially the
Argentine ant in southern California and the native gray ant in the San Joaquin Valley. Ants that tend
these soft scale will disrupt the activity of the red scale parasites. Both of the predators are hampered
by dust, manure mulch dust, and ash from brush fires. If whitewash or kaolin clays are applied wait
until the end of the season when the predators have done their job.
Growers that use the Aphytis predator releases to supplement the natural biological control of
armored scale have been successful. Thrips and grassy wing sharpshooters infestations in the spring
require the use of harsh pesticides. These pesticides include: carbamates, organophosphates, Assail,
Danitol and Baythroid. The use of predator friendly BT’s for the worms, and spinosad, sabadilla and
abamectin for thrips reduces the need for these harsher pesticides.
Aphytis wasps can be killed by pesticide residues. Lorsban residues lasts 3 to 6 weeks. Supracide
lasts for 9 weeks and Sevin lasts for 5 months. Putting Aphytis wasps in a jar with leaves from fields
treated with pesticides recently while placing wasps in jars with untreated leaves to show wasp vigor
will show whether a wasp release is feasible.
Releases of 100,000 Aphytis wasp per acre per year should start about April 15. Release 5 to 10
thousand per acre every 2 weeks. During the spring months release 50,000. Then in the summer
months release 25,000 with a release of another 25,00 during the fall months. During the middle of
June to the middle of July when second and third instars aren’t available stop releases then continue
releases until mid November. During the late releases apply Aphytis wasps to the heaviest scale
infested areas. Reduce releases to sixty to seventy thousand in the third to fourth year. By then the
predator populations won’t need the high release numbers. When releasing the wasps apply at every
sixth tree in every sixth row.
Groves in southern California have enough natural Aphytis wasps present and releases of about
10,000 per acre every two weeks in April and May should be enough for control of the scale. Young
trees of grapefruit and lemons may need annual releases in the fall months if biological control is not
working.
Pheromones are being used to monitor the male armor scales in the San Joaquin valley citrus
groves. Pheromone traps tell: when the male flights occur, the amount of infestation by orchard, when
to treat if needed. Degree days are used to estimate when the male scale flights are occurring. The
pheromone traps monitor the male scale during the first (May), second (June-July) and fourth (Sept-
Oct) flights. In the San Joaquin valley when an average of more than one thousand one set of wings
adults are trapped at the fourth flight and fruit is infested with scale, treatment is planned for the next
season. Place traps in March. Change the sticky cards weekly and the lures monthly. Put 2 to 4 traps
in each 10 acre block.
These pheromone traps aren’t reliable when Aphystis are being depended upon for scale control.
Aphystis wasps reduce female scale populations. The traps only monitor the male scale populations.
When insect growth regulators that kill more adult males than females are used the adult male count is
too low to be useful in control measures. When either of these conditions exist use fruit scale
infestations instead of pheromone trap monitoring system. Visual scale monitoring should be used with
pheromone monitoring, but visual monitoring should be used instead of pheromone monitoring when
predator release or growth regulators are used to control red scale.
Acceptable methods of scale control include oil sprays, predator releases and brushing or high
pressure washing of the citrus fruit in the packing house.
There are several pesticides registered for scale control including: Narrow Range Oil, Growth
regulators Esteem and Applaud (toxic to vedalia beetles), Admire, Lorsban, Sevin, and Supracide.
Follow label directions.
Because of the need for predators in armor scale control in citrus the use of pesticides that are
selective is practiced by citrus growers especially in the San Joaquin Valley. The use of spray oils in
armored scale control is one of the most selective pesticides used. There is the possibility of tree
injury. Spray oils are classified by numbers for the distillation range of oils. The heavier the distillation
range is the better the control. The drawback to using heavy oils is the damage they can cause to the
trees. The distillation range for citrus spray oils is between 415 to 440. The higher the number the
heavier the distillation range and the greater the damage potential. Timing is based on
temperatures. Spray oils are selective for scale control and have a short residual period. The oil
will penetrate the scales armor. Warm temperatures above 85 to 95 degrees F. and humidity below 20
to 30 % should be avoided. When smog is very high, oil spraying of citrus should be avoided.
Purple Armored Scale
The armor or cover of the purple scale is shaped like a mussel shell. The male scale cover is similar
to the female scale but it is shorter and narrower. Adult male purple scales have wings and they
search for female purple scales to mate. Female purple scales lay 40 to 50 eggs under her cover. The
eggs hatch as crawlers and look for a feeding site on branches, twigs, leaves or fruit. The crawlers
insert their piercing mouth parts and begin feeding. They secrete waxy threads until they are half
grown when a brown cover with a purplish tinge forms over them.
Purple scales are found in the cooler, shady parts of the trees. When temperatures rise to 80
degrees F. they succumb to this degree of heat. They are found in the cooler coastal areas of
California. They have two generations between May and October with a partial generation before it
gets too cold for them.
Purple scale is an occasional pest in citrus. If the weather is mild and humid they can become an
infestation that can defoliate and cause dieback. This is usually on the north side of the tree. Usually
predators will control this pest, but if an outbreak occurs it will usually be in spots that should be
treated. If the infestation of purple scale is throughout the grove treat every fourth to sixth row to
conserve the predators. Do this every 4 to 6 weeks through the season. Pesticides include: Narrow
Range Oil, Lorsban, Sevin or Supracide,
In Arizona and California mealybug is a sporadic pest. The older groves with heavy foliage is where
outbreaks of mealybug occur. There are four mealybug species found in the Arizona and California
citrus: the Citrus Mealybug, Comstock Mealybug, Longtailed and the Citrophilus. Citrus Mealybug
infestations is the most likely to require treatments. In the lemon groves of the San Joaquin Valley the
Comstock Mealybug has been an occasional pest requiring treatment.
The most commonly found, Citrus Mealybug, has a pink body that can be seen through the white
wax powder. The Comstock Mealybug has a thicker white wax cover of its body with two spines at the
posterior end that are one quarter the length of its body. The Citrophilus Mealybug has filaments
extending from its posterior with two dark stripes and it exudes two red liquid bubbles of fluid when
defending themselves. The Longtailed Mealy bug has visibly long filaments extending from its
posterior and it is the only citrus mealybug pest that must mate sexually to produce young. The other
citrus pest mealybugs can reproduce with or without mating.
Mealy bugs are soft scale insects with sucking mouthparts that they use to suck sugar liquids from
the plant’s phloem. Mealybugs produce honeydew and in turn black sooty mold. Both the male and
female move about through their life history. The male has egg, instar, pupa and winged adult life
stages. The female has egg, instar and wingless adult life stages.
Mealybugs are usually controlled by predators. When they cause damage like yellowing, split fruit,
leaf drop or tree death they are controlled by repeated spraying of Lorsban. Releases of a predator
called the Mealybug Destroyer has been very sucessful. The destroyer larvae look like a mealybug
and is twice as large. It tends to die out in the winter therefore releases of 500 per acre are required
for control.
The use of trade names in this course is solely for the purpose of providing specific information. It is
not a guarantee or warranty of the products named, and does not signify that they are approved to
the exclusion of others of suitable composition. Use pesticides safely. Read and follow directions on
the manufacturer’s label.
Acknowledgements:
http://news.ucanr.org/newsstorymain.cfm?story=224
citrus E-newsletter No. 1 June2002
Kerns, David; Wright, Glenn; Loghry, John; Citrus Anthropod Management in Arizona
University of Arizona College of Agriculture
Reprinted from "Effectively Managing Scale Insect Pests in the Urban Landscape" by Steven K.
Rettke, RCRE Ornamental IPM Program Associate, in the March 16, 2006 edition of the Plant and
Pest Advisory, Landscape, Nursery, and Turf edition, Rutgers University
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG005
://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/scalenet/scalenet.htmnnnn
 | |  | |  |