Red scale (Aonidiella auranti, Diaspidida, Homoptera )

• one of the important and serious pests of citrus in citrus growing
• It is the most notorious pest It is a polyphagous species found in citrus, almonds, vines, pear, and plum.

Damaging stage: Nymph and adult

Damaging symptoms: cause leaf yellowing and drop, dieback of twigs and limbs, and occasionally death of the tree.

Identification:

• Female scales have a roundish cover, about the size of the blunt end of a
• Adult male scales are small, two-winged insects that emerge from the elongated scale covers after four molts.
• Nymph leaves the maternal scale and disperses on the host Hot and dry weather favors for its multiplication.

Management

• Select planting material from scale-free
• Encourage the building of ladybird beetle population in scale-infested
• Pruning of infested branches and twigs during the dormant period and destroy
• Augmentative releases of Aphytis melinus are effective in controlling red-scale
• Dip the roots of the sapling in a 1% solution of fenitrothion or dichlorvos just before planting.
• Spray mineral oil such as Agri–SERVO @ 10 – 15 ml per liter water as foliar spray in apple trees.
• Apply ATSO @ 10 ml/liter water as foliar.
• Dip the roots of saplings in a 1 % solution of dichlorovus just before planting.
• Incorporate Thimet 10% G or Temik 10% G @ 10gm, 40-50gm, or 50-100gm per plant in the trench around the root zone of small, middle, and big-sized trees Then cover the trench with soil and then irrigate the field immediately after application of insecticide. This helps to suppress the population of scale insects in the orchard.
• Spray Roger 30% EC (Dimethoate) @ 2ml/liter