Insect Pests of Fruit, Plantation, Medicinal & Aromatic Crops (2+1)

2. Scale insect

2. Scale insect - Aspidiotus destructor Sign. (Biaspididae: Hemiptera)

Damage

• The nymphs and adult desap the leaflets resulting yellowing, withering and drying up of leaflets.
Bionomics

• It is circular hard scale occurs as persistent pest of coconut.
• A female lays up to 90 eggs under its shield like scale.
  
• The crawlers move out and distribute themselves to healthy leaflets.
  
• The life cycle is 32 days for male and 35 days for female.