Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-ws8qp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-27T07:28:24.863Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Life History and Ecology of Pulvinaria vitis (L.) (Hemiptera: Coccoidea), the Cottony Scale Attacking Peach in Ontario1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Abstract

The cottony scale attacking the peach in Ontario is apparently the European species Pulvinaria vitis (L.) and may have been introduced to North America prior to 1897. It is thelytokous and has only one generation per year. The partly grown, adult female overwinters on the bark of its host. The eggs, laid about mid-May, are enclosed in a white, felt-like ovisac that is secreted by submarginal glands in the ventral region of the scale's body. The eggs, which on peach averaged about 4,000 per female, were laid over a relatively short period when the temperature was 14 °C. or higher. Eggs began to hatch after about 200 day degrees above 10 °C. Increasing the temperature increased the rate of hatching, but no close correlation was found between the rate of hatching and the average daily temperature during the hatching period.

The newly emerged nymphs were both phototactic and photokinetic, and their establishment on the host plant was affected by several factors including light, humidity, and air movement. For a given set of conditions there appeared to be a maximum number of nymphs that could become established per unit area of host. P. vitis was dispersed by wind at any stage when it was active, but especially at the early crawler stage.

Growth of the scales was discontinuous with varying periods when no growth took place. There were three moults: the first 12 to 18 days after hatching; the second 28 to 36 days; and the third 56 to 93 days. At ecdysis only the cuticle of the ventral surface and the appendages was shed. Movement of the scales on the host plant was particularly frequent till the first moult, but some movement took place throughout the summer and early fall except for a period in late August and early September. Only a small percentage of the scales reached the bark from the leaves, probably due to random movement.

Feeding appeared to be discontinuous with periods of days when no feeding took place. The scales fed on the phloem, but on twigs the stylets penetrated as far as the xylem and destroyed the cambium in the feeding area.

Though parasites and predators exist in the area and appeared to be capable of exercising a large measure of control, the spray programs used in the orchards held them to relatively small numbers. At least one species of parasite was almost absent from sprayed orchards.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1963

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bradley, R. H. E. 1953. Infectivity of aphids after several hours on tobacco infected with potato virus Y. Nature 171: 755.Google Scholar
Felt, E. P. 1925. Scientific Notes: Cottony peach scale, Pulvinaria amygdali. J. Econ. Ent. 18: 752.Google Scholar
Felt, E. P. 1928. Report of the committee on Entomology. Proc. New York State Hort. Soc. 73: 1819.Google Scholar
Flanders, S. E. 1937. Ovipositional instincts and developmental sex differences in the genus Coccophagus. Univ. Calif. Publ. Ent. 6: 401422.Google Scholar
Forbes, S. A. 1907. The cottony maple scale in Illinois. Univ. Illinois Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. 112: 343360.Google Scholar
Glass, E. H. 1944. Feeding habits of two mealy bugs, Pseudococcus comstocki (Kuw.) and Phenacoccus colemani (Ehrh.). Virginia Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. 95: 316.Google Scholar
Green, E. E. 1920. Observations on British Coccidae. No. V. Ent. Mon. Mag. 56: 114130.Google Scholar
Habib, A. 1955. The behaviour of the nymphal stages of Eulecanium corni Bouché. Soc. Ent. Egypt Bull. 39: 230249.Google Scholar
Harmon, S. W. 1927. The peach cottony scale (P. amygdali Ckll.). New York State Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull. 542: 119.Google Scholar
Komarek, J. 1946. The physiological damage upon the ash-tree made by the scale insect Lecanium coryli L. Acta Soc. Zool. Cal. 10: 156165. (Cited in R.A.E. Sec. A 36: 65).Google Scholar
Leius, K. 1960. Attractiveness of different foods and flowers to the adults of some hymenopterous parasites. Can. Ent. 92: 369376.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lindinger, L. 1912. Die Schildlause (Coccidae) Europas, Nordafrikas, und Vorderasiens, einschliesslich der Azoren, der Kanaren und Madeiras. Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart. 388 pp.Google Scholar
Newstead, R. 1903. Monograph of the Coccidae of the British Isles, V.2 (1902). Ray Society, London, 270 pp.Google Scholar
Parrott, P. J., and Harmon, S. W.. 1927. The peach cottony scale. J. Econ. Ent. 20: 146150.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, J. H. H. 1955. Identity of a cottony scale on peach in Ontario. Can. Ent. 87: 245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, J. H. H. 1962. Description of the immature stages of Pulvinaria vitis (L.) and P. innumerabilis (Rathvon) (Homoptera: Coccoidea), with notes on the habits of these species in Ontario, Canada. Can. Ent. 94: 497502.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Phillips, J. H. H., Putman, W. L. and Herne, D. C.. 1962. Some effects of DDT on Pulvinaria vitis (L.) (Homoptera: Coccidae) infesting peach in Ontario. Can. Ent. 94: 449458.Google Scholar
Putman, W. L. 1941. The feeding habits of certain leaf-hoppers. Can. Ent. 73: 3953.Google Scholar
Putnam, J. D. 1880. Biological and other notes on Coccidae. Davenport Acad. Sci. Proc. 2: 293347.Google Scholar
Ross, W. A., and Caesar, L.. 1928. Insects of the season 1926 in Ontario. 58th Ann. Rep. Ent. Soc. Ont. 1927: 17.Google Scholar
Sanders, J. G. 1905. The cottony maple scale. U.S.D.A. Bur. Ent. Circ. 64: 16.Google Scholar
Sanders, J. G. 1909. The identity and synonymy of some of our soft scale insects. J. Econ. Ent. 2: 428448.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, H. S., and Compere, H.. 1928. A preliminary report on the insect parasites of the black scale Saissetia cloae. Univ. Calif. Publ. Ent. 4: 231334.Google Scholar
Smith, K. M. 1926. A comparative study of the feeding methods of certain Hemiptera and of the resulting effects upon the plant tissue with special reference to the potato plant. Ann. Appl. Biol. 13: 109139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmutterer, H. 1952. Die Okologie der Cocciden (Homoptera: Coccoidea) Frankens. Ztschr. f. Angew. Ent. 33: 544584.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steinweden, J. B. 1946. The identity of certain common American species of Pulvinaria (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Microentomology 11: 128.Google Scholar
Timberlake, P. H. 1913. Preliminary report on the parasites of Coccus hesperidum in California. J. Econ. Ent. 6: 293303.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wheeler, E. H., and Oberle, G. D.. 1948. Oils in dormant sprays to control European fruit lecanium and cottony peach scale. J. Econ. Ent. 41: 186189.CrossRefGoogle Scholar