| Parthenolecanium quercifex | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Sternorrhyncha |
| Family: | Coccidae |
| Genus: | Parthenolecanium |
| Species: | P. quercifex |
| Binomial name | |
| Parthenolecanium quercifex (Fitch, 1859) | |
Parthenolecanium quercifex, the oak lecanium scale, is a species of soft scale insect belonging to the family Coccidae within the order Hemiptera. [1]
The scientific name, Parthenolecanium quercifex, refers to the oak tree (Quercus) as its primary host. [2]
Adult females have a hemispherical shape and measure 4–7 mm in length and 3–5 mm in width. They exhibit color variations of light to dark brown/gray, often featuring lateral humps on their back. [2]
The insect closely resembles other scale species, leading to uncertainty about its identity and the possible existence of a cryptic species complex. [2]
The species is prevalent in the eastern United States. It primarily infests oak trees but has been observed on other species, such as hickory and birch. [2]
The oak lecanium scale undergoes one annual generation. Egg laying occurs in late May to June, and hatching takes place in June to early July. The egg count varies, influenced by multiple factors, with reports ranging from dozens to thousands per female. The young crawlers move to host plant leaves, where they feed on leaf undersides, mainly along the main veins, using piercing-sucking mouthparts. The initial instars are tiny, measuring less than 1 mm, and are pale yellow/brown. These insects molt into second instars in late summer/fall and return to woody tissues, such as host plant twigs, for overwintering. In spring, females grow and mature, adopting the distinctive hemispherical shape. [2]
Oak lecanium scales feed on tree and shrub phloem, causing issues such as stunted foliage, chlorosis, twig death, and dieback, primarily during April-May due to feeding female scales. Their feeding produces honeydew, which can lead to the growth of black sooty mold. [2]
The luna moth, also called the American moon moth, is a Nearctic moth in the family Saturniidae, subfamily Saturniinae, a group commonly named the giant silk moths.
Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than the superfamily Coccoidea due to taxonomic uncertainties. Adult females typically have soft bodies and no limbs, and are concealed underneath domed scales, extruding quantities of wax for protection. Some species are hermaphroditic, with a combined ovotestis instead of separate ovaries and testes. Males, in the species where they occur, have legs and sometimes wings, and resemble small flies. Scale insects are herbivores, piercing plant tissues with their mouthparts and remaining in one place, feeding on sap. The excess fluid they imbibe is secreted as honeydew on which sooty mold tends to grow. The insects often have a mutualistic relationship with ants, which feed on the honeydew and protect them from predators. There are about 8,000 described species.
The cabbage moth is primarily known as a pest that is responsible for severe crop damage of a wide variety of plant species. The common name, cabbage moth, is a misnomer as the species feeds on many fruits, vegetables, and crops in the genus Brassica. Other notable host plants include tobacco, sunflower, and tomato, making this pest species particularly economically damaging.
The wattle bagworm is a species of moth in the family Psychidae. In southern Africa it is a pest of the black wattle which is grown largely as a source of vegetable tannin. Kotochalia junodi is indigenous to Southern Africa, where it originally fed on indigenous relatives of the wattle.
Timema is a genus of relatively short-bodied, stout and wingless stick insects native to the far western United States, and the sole extant member of the family Timematidae. The genus was first described in 1895 by Samuel Hubbard Scudder, based on observations of the species Timema californicum.
The common walkingstick or northern walkingstick is a species of phasmid or stick insect found across North America. The average length of this species is 75mm (3 in) for males and 95mm (3.7 in) for females.
Spodoptera eridania is a moth that is known to be a pest. They are one of the most important defoliators in the tropical and subtropical regions of the western hemisphere that feed heavily on plants while they are young, often resulting in skeleton leaves on their food plants. They are also heavy feeders on tomato in Florida. There is a lot of development in producing pesticides against the S. eridania, specifically a neem-based pesticide that can result in smaller and prolonged development. The wingspan is 33–38 mm. Adults are on wing year-round. The larvae feed on various weeds but prefer Amaranthus species and Phytolacca americana.
Aleurocanthus woglumi is a species of whitefly in the family Aleyrodidae. It is a pest of citrus crops, and is commonly known as the citrus blackfly because of its slate-blue colour. It originated in Asia, but has spread to other parts of the world. The parasitic wasps, Encarsia perplexa and Amitus hesperidum can help control the pest.
Archipsocus nomas is a web-spinning barklouse, a psocid in the insect family Archipsocidae. It is found in the southeast of the United States, living gregariously on trees, feeding on lichen and fungi and spinning a web that adheres to the trunk and large branches in sheets. The webs are thought to protect the barklice from predators and neither the insects nor the webs cause damage to the trees.
Eriococcidae is a family of scale insects in the order Hemiptera. They are commonly known as felt scales or eriococcids. As of 2023, there are 109 genera and 681 species. Each species is usually specific to a different plant host, or closely related group of hosts.
The pineapple gall adelgid is a species of conifer-feeding insect that forms pineapple-shaped plant galls on its host species, commonly Norway and Sitka spruce. The adelgids are pear-shaped, soft-bodied green insects with long antennae, closely related to the aphid. Adelges lays up to one hundred eggs at a time, one on each needle. Adelges abietis is one of the most common species; synonyms are A. gallarum-abietis, Chermes abietis and Sacciphantes abietis.
Saissetia coffeae, known generally as hemispherical scale, is a species of soft scale insect in the family Coccidae. Other common names include the helmet scale and coffee brown scale.
Aspidiotus destructor, the coconut scale, is a species of armoured scale insect in the family Diaspididae, found in many tropical and subtropical parts of the world. It is a serious pest of coconut and banana, and attacks a range of other fruiting trees and ornamental plants.
Liriomyza trifolii, known generally as the American serpentine leafminer or celery leafminer, is a species of leaf miner fly in the family Agromyzidae.
Ceroplastes rubens, known generally as the red wax scale or pink wax scale, is a species of soft scale insect in the family Coccidae. It is native to Australia but has been introduced to other countries, including New Caledonia, Japan, China, Poland and the United States.
Phytobia betulae is a species of fly in the family Agromyzidae. It is native to Northern and Eastern Europe, being common in Scandinavia. Its larvae tunnel through the branches and trunk of birch trees, often leaving a dark stain in the timber but not adversely affecting the tree's growth.
Metaphycus helvolus is a species of parasitic wasp in the family Encyrtidae native to South Africa. It is a parasitoid of soft scale insects and has been used in their biological control in California and Australia.
Quadraspidiotus juglansregiae, commonly known as the walnut scale, is a species of armoured scale insect in the family Diaspididae. It is native to North America where it feeds on a wide range of ornamental and forest trees and bushes.
Toumeyella parvicornis is a soft scale insect in the family Coccidae with a wide host range. It is commonly known as pine tortoise scale because of the characteristic appearance of the mature females, which look like tiny tortoises up to 1/4 inch in diameter.
Paratachardina lobata, the lobate lac scale, is a polyphagous lac scale insect, which damages trees and woody shrubs. It is native to India and Sri Lanka, but has been introduced to Florida where it is regarded as an invasive species.