Pest of the Month: Pink Wax Scale (Ceroplastes rubens)

Category name: Soft scales

Importance: Minor

Similar to: Other wax scales

Description: Egg: Red, small, oval, laid in clumps under female scale body. Immatures: Crawlers pink and mobile. When they settle they lose their legs and secrete a white, waxy covering that later turns pink, resemble adult female. Adult: Female has a pink to red hard wax covering, which is smooth and globular in shape. There are two lobes on either side of the scale with a depression on top. Male tiny, winged and rarely seen.

Damage:
Occurs mainly along the midribs of leaves and on young twigs. Feeding reduces plant vigour. Protected and tended by ants. Produces honeydew, encouraging sooty mould growth, which further reduces plant vigour.

Further industry pest information is available at www.pestid.com.au

Click here for a Fact Sheet on Scale Insects

An initiative of the National Nursery Industry Biosecurity Program (NY15004) and the ‘Building the resilience and on-farm biosecurity capacity of the Australian production nursery industry’ Project (NY15002).