''Eulecanium cerasorum'', the calico scale, is a species of
scale insect
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 ...
. It can be identified by its white and brown color on its outer circular shell which will continuously darken over age. It is approximately one quarter of an inch in diameter. The Calico Scale is a pest to many trees in the United States, including
dogwoods,
honey locust,
magnolias,
maples,
sweetgums and fruit trees. This pest typically attacks the branches which stresses the trees. Mature females produce
honeydew, which promotes the growth of
mold around the tree.
The nymph migrates along a tree branch, then settles down and creates a circular hardened shell or cap to be its protective coat against predators and pesticides. The typical female is known to lay around 4500 eggs inside its cap.
References
External links
http://ir4.rutgers.edu/Ornamental/OrnData/20070911a.pdfhttp://woodypests.cas.psu.edu/factsheets/InsectFactSheets/pdf/CalicoScale.pdf
Hemiptera of North America
Coccidae
{{Coccidae-stub