Cottonycushion Scale

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Common names:  Cottonycushion Scale

Scientific name:  Icerya purchasi

Region:  This scale can be found in southern United States.

Life cycle:  This insect produces three generations each year and overwinters in all stages.

Physical Description:  The 1/5 inch long scale is reddish brown, while the females are covered with a white, ridged shell-like mass that holds up to 800 eggs.  The nymph is red with black legs and has long hair and antennae.

Feeding characteristics:  This pest will attack almond, apple, apricot, citrus, fig, peach, pecan, pepper, potato, quince, and walnut plants by attaching to stems and bark.

Controls:  Spray with a dormant-oil in April and May, prior to the growth of the fruit.  Citrus should not be sprayed until late summer or fall, except for lemons, which also can be sprayed in the spring.

The vedalia and many other Lady Beetles are natural predators of this scale.