Common scale insects (Hemiptera:Coccoidea) in Egypt

El-Sahn, N.,Radwan G.,Hassan A.

doi:10.21608/eajbsa.2012.14275

Abstract

The scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, generally classified as the Superfamily Coccoidea. There are about 8,000 species of scale insects. Scale insects feed on a wide variety of plants, and scale species are considered pests. This review article is presenting the ecological aspects of some important scale insects and mealybugs infesting horticulture plants in Egypt. Armored scale insects (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) like Aulacaspis tubercularis Newstead, Pseudaulacaspis pentagona (Targioni-Tozzetti ), Parlatoria oleae (Clovee), Parlatoria ziziphi (Lucas), Fiorinia phoenicis Balachowsky and Hemiberlisia lataniae (Signoret). While, the soft scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccidae) showed by Pulvinaria tenuivalvata (Newstead), Pulvinaria psidii Mask., Saissetiacoffeae (Walker) and Ceroplastes floridensis Comstock. In case of mealybugs was represented with Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), Icerya seychellarum (Westwood) (Hemiptera: Monophelibidae) and Ferrisia virgata (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae). Family: Asterolecaniidae exampled by Asterolecanium pustulans Ckll. (Hemiptera: Asterolecaniidae).

Highlights

Scale insects found in different parts of the world fall within 23 Families while only 12 out of that number are found in Egypt
In the last few years, scale insect was observed with high numbers on date palm fronds and dates in some governorates in Egypt causing yellowish of the pinnae and dryness of the fronds as well as the infested dates becomes unmarketable and has a large grade
Balboul (2003) mentioned that F. virgata individual insects of 1st generation appeared during the first half of November and the first peak was recorded in the middle of December, while the second generation occurred during the period extending from about first half of June and the second peak was recorded in the middle of October

Summary

Introduction

Scale insects found in different parts of the world fall within 23 Families while only 12 out of that number are found in Egypt. The mango scale, A. tubercularis is presently a wide spread pest throughout all mango trees in Egypt causing severe damage to leaves and dryness of branches.

Results

Conclusion