Origin:
Possibly European in origin, as it is found commonly throughout Europe and in Asia, as well as in much of North America.
Biology:
Feeds on a wide variety of ornamental woody plants and trees. It is not a particularly important species, judging from the lack of literature on it. One generation per year, adult females overwinter and produce eggs in the spring, mobile crawlers then move to softer tissues to feed and eventually settle in with their mouthparts embedded in the twigs. At this point they remain in place and begin to form the wax shell over themselves.
Identification:
This is a fairly large scale with adults over 6 mm in length. Their color is variable, but generally yellowish brown to dark brown with reddish to dark brown stripes running across the wax shell, giving it a distinctive banded appearance. Males are tiny and resemble wasps with long filaments extending out the posterior end.
Characteristicts Important to Control:
Where populations of the scale warrant control dormant or summer oils may be effective, as well as contact insecticides applied when the first instar crawlers are present. An IGR applied when crawlers are present also may be effective.
