Red Wax Scale, Ceroplastes rubens Maskell - EDIS - University of ...

EENY-237<br />

<strong>Red</strong> <strong>Wax</strong> <strong>Scale</strong>, <strong>Ceroplastes</strong> <strong>rubens</strong> <strong>Maskell</strong> (Insecta:<br />

Hemiptera: Coccidae) 1<br />

G.W. Dekle 2<br />

Introduction<br />

<strong>Red</strong> wax scale, <strong>Ceroplastes</strong> <strong>rubens</strong> <strong>Maskell</strong>, was<br />

first found in Florida at an Orange County nursery on<br />

the foliage and stem <strong>of</strong> greenhouse-grown<br />

Aglaonema pictum var. tricolor and A. oblongifolium<br />

'Curtisii' in November 1955. This collection was a<br />

new Florida and continental United States record <strong>of</strong><br />

an introduced plant pest. Introduced foliage plants<br />

apparently were responsible for the establishment <strong>of</strong><br />

this insect in Florida.<br />

Distribution<br />

Antigua, Australia, Bermuda, Caroline Is.,<br />

China, Cook Is., Cuba, Dominican Republic, Fiji,<br />

France, Guam, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Indonesia,<br />

Italy, Japan, Kenya, Loyalty Islands, Malaya,<br />

Mariana Islands, Mexico, New Caledonia, New<br />

Zealand, Philippines, Samoa, Seychelles, Solomon<br />

Is., South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tahiti, Taiwan, Vanuatu<br />

and Zanzibar.<br />

Description<br />

The waxy cover <strong>of</strong> the adult female is pinkish to<br />

red, convex, longer than wide and with two<br />

conspicuous pairs <strong>of</strong> white bands that extend dorsally<br />

from the spiracular area. Size: 3.5 to 4.5 mm. The<br />

nymphs are pinkish in color.<br />

Hosts<br />

Acanthacae, Acer sp. (maple), Acrostichum sp.<br />

(fern), Aglaonema commutatum Schott, A. modestum<br />

Schott, A. nitidum (jack) Kunth 'Curtisii', A. pictum<br />

'Tricolor', A. commutatum Schott<br />

'Pseudobracteatum', A. roebelinii (Lind.) Gentil., A.<br />

treubii Engl., Allamanda cathartica L. 'Schotti',<br />

Alpinia purpurata K. Schum., Alyxia olivaeformis<br />

Gaudich., Anthurium sp., Antidesma sp. (China<br />

laurel), Artemisia vulgaris L. (mugwort), Ardisia<br />

japonica Blume, Asplenium nidus L. (bird nest fern),<br />

Aucuba sp. (golddust plant), Berberis sp. (barberry),<br />

Brassaia actinophylla Endl., (schefflera), Buxus sp.<br />

(boxwood), B. microphylla Sieb., Calophyllum<br />

tomentosum Wight. (beautyleaf), Camellia japonica<br />

L., C. japonica L., ssp. rusticana (Honda) Kitamura,<br />

C. sinensis (L.) Kuntze (tea), Capsicum annum L.<br />

1. This document is EENY-237 (IN393) (originally published as DPI Entomology Circular 115), one <strong>of</strong> a series <strong>of</strong> Featured Creatures from the Entomology<br />

and Nematology Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute <strong>of</strong> Food and Agricultural Sciences, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Florida. Published:<br />

September 2001. Revised: November 2007. Reviewed: March 2011. This document is also available on Featured Creatures website at<br />

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu. Please visit the <strong>EDIS</strong> website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. Department website at http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/.<br />

2. G.W. Dekle, Florida Department <strong>of</strong> Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division <strong>of</strong> Plant Industry, Gainesville, FL.<br />

The Institute <strong>of</strong> Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and<br />

other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex,<br />

sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department <strong>of</strong> Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service,<br />

<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. <strong>University</strong> Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards <strong>of</strong> County Commissioners Cooperating. Millie<br />

Ferrer-Chancy, Interim Dean

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<strong>Red</strong> <strong>Wax</strong> <strong>Scale</strong>, <strong>Ceroplastes</strong> <strong>rubens</strong> <strong>Maskell</strong> (Insecta: Hemiptera: Coccidae) 2<br />

Figure 1. Adult female red wax scale, <strong>Ceroplastes</strong> <strong>rubens</strong><br />

<strong>Maskell</strong>, showing the conspicuous pairs <strong>of</strong> white bands.<br />

Credits: Division <strong>of</strong> Plant Industry<br />

Figure 2. Adult female and nymphs <strong>of</strong> the red wax scale,<br />

<strong>Ceroplastes</strong> <strong>rubens</strong> <strong>Maskell</strong>. Credits: Division <strong>of</strong> Plant<br />

Industry<br />

(pepper), Celosia argentea L., var. cristata (L.)<br />

Kuntze, Chaenomeles japonica (Thunb.) Lindl.<br />

(flowering quince), Chrysanthemum sinense Sabine,<br />

Cibotium sp. (fern tree), Cinnamomum pedunculatum<br />

Presl. (cinnamon), Citrus reticulata Blanco<br />

(mandarin orange), C. sinensis (L.) Osbeck (sweet<br />

orange), Cleyera japonica Thunb., Cocos nucifera L.<br />

(coconut), C<strong>of</strong>fea sp. (c<strong>of</strong>fee), Cotoneaster sp.<br />

(ornamental), Crassula rosularis Haw. (succulent),<br />

Crataegus sp. (haw, hawthorn, mayhaw), Cycas<br />

revoluta Thunb. (Sago palm), Cydonia oblonga Mill.<br />

(quince), Cytisus scoparius Link (Scotch broom),<br />

Daphne odora Thunb., Dieffenbachia sp.<br />

(ornamental), Dioclea violacea Mart. ex Benth.,<br />

Diospyros kaki L.f. (Japanese persimmon),<br />

Dizygotheca elegantissima Vig. & Guill. (false<br />

aralia), Duranta repens L. (skyflower), Elaecarpus<br />

bifidus Hook. & Arn., Elaphoglossum reticulatus<br />

Gaud. (fern), Epidendrum sp. (orchid), Eriobotrya<br />

japonica Lindl. (loquat), Eucalyptus globulus Labill.<br />

(Tasmanian bluegum), Eugenia smithii Poir.,<br />

Euonymus europaens L. (shrub), E. japonicus Thunb.<br />

(Japanese evergreen), E. alata Maxim., Eurya<br />

emarginata (Thunb.) Makino, Fatsia japonica Decne.<br />

& Planch. (aralia), Ficus carica L. (fig), F. faveolata<br />

Wall., Garcinia spicata Hook.f., Gardenia<br />

jasminoides Ellis (gardenia, Cape jasmine),<br />

Grammatophyllum sp. (orchid), Hedera helix L.<br />

(English ivy), Ilex serrata Thunb. (holly), Illicium<br />

anisatum L. (anise tree), Iresine sp. (bloodleaf), Ixora<br />

sp. (evergreen shrub), Kadsura japonica (Thunb.)<br />

Dunal. (Katsura tree), Laurus nobilis L. (laurel),<br />

Ligustrum japonicum Thunb. (privet), Lindera<br />

citridora Hemsl. (spice bush), Litchi chinensis Sonn.<br />

(lychee, leechee), Litsea glauca Sieb., Lycium<br />

chinense Mill. (Chinese matrimony vine), Machilus<br />

thunbergii Sieb., Magnolia salicifolia (bay), M.<br />

obovata Thunb. (bay), Malus sp. (apple), Mangifera<br />

indica L. (mango), Medinilla sp., Melia azedarach L.<br />

(chinaberry, china tree), Metrosideros villosa Sm.,<br />

Monstera deliciosa Liebm., Morus alba L. (white<br />

mulberry), Myrsine sp., Nandina domestica Thunb.,<br />

Nerium oleander L. (oleander), Paltonium<br />

lanceolatum Presl. (ribbon fern), Peperomia sp.<br />

(peperomia), Persea americana Mill. (avocado),<br />

Philodendron giganteum Schott, Photina glabra<br />

Maxim., Pilea L., Pinus densiflora Sieb. & Zucc., P.<br />

parviflora Sieb. & Zucc. (Japanese white pine),

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<strong>Red</strong> <strong>Wax</strong> <strong>Scale</strong>, <strong>Ceroplastes</strong> <strong>rubens</strong> <strong>Maskell</strong> (Insecta: Hemiptera: Coccidae) 3<br />

Pittosporum tobira (Thunb.) Ait. (pittosporum),<br />

Podocarpus nagi (Thunb.) Makino (podocarpus),<br />

Polypodium sp. (fern), Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.<br />

(trifoliate orange), Prunus domestica L. (peach or<br />

prune), P. mume Sieb. & Zucc., Psychotria sp. (wild<br />

c<strong>of</strong>fee), Pteris sp. (brake fern), Pyrus pyrifolia<br />

(Burm.f.) Nakai (sand pear), Rhododendron indicum<br />

Sweet (azalea), Rhus succedanea L. (wax-tree), Rosa<br />

sp. (rose), Schima sp., Spartium junceum L. (Spanish<br />

broom), Spirea thunbergii Sieb. (spirea,<br />

bridalwreath), Stanhopea sp., Straussia sp.,<br />

Strobilanthes japonicus Miq. (lavenderbell),<br />

Symplocos japonica DC., Todea barbara (L.) Moore,<br />

Tamarix chinensis Lour. (salt cedar, tamarix),<br />

Wisteria sp. (wisteria), Zantedsechia sp. (calla).<br />

Economic Importance<br />

This scale has been reported to be an economic<br />

pest on citrus.<br />

Management<br />

See the Insect Management Guide for Woody<br />

Ornamentals.<br />

Selected References<br />

Borchsenius, N.S. 1957. S<strong>of</strong>t <strong>Scale</strong>s <strong>of</strong> the<br />

USSR (Coccidea). New Series, No. 66. National<br />

Academy <strong>of</strong> Sciences <strong>of</strong> the USSR. Moscow and<br />

Leningrad. 494 p.<br />

Commonwealth Institute <strong>of</strong> Entomology. 1960.<br />

Distribution Maps <strong>of</strong> Pests. (Series A Agricultural),<br />

Map No. 118.<br />

Dekle, G.W. 1957. Twenty-First Biennial<br />

Report, State Plant Board <strong>of</strong> Florida, now Div. Plant<br />

Ind., Florida Dept. Agr. & Consumer Serv., Vol. II,<br />

Bull. 11-A: 73-74.<br />

Green, E.E. 1909. The Coccidae <strong>of</strong> Ceylon. Part<br />

IV. Dulae & Co., London. 280-28l, 15 figs.<br />

Zimmerman, E.C. 1948. Insects <strong>of</strong> Hawaii,<br />

Volume 5, Homoptera: Sternorhyncha, 343-347.