Ceroplastes japonicus
| Ceroplastes japonicus | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Sternorrhyncha |
| Family: | Coccidae |
| Genus: | Ceroplastes |
| Species: | C. japonicus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Ceroplastes japonicus Green, 1921
| |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Ceroplastes japonicus, also known as the Japanese wax scale or tortoise wax scale,[1] is a scale insect belonging to the family Coccidae.[2] It is native to East Asia but has spread and became a pest in Europe and West Asia.
Description
Eggs of Ceroplastes japonicus are smaller than 0.5 millimeters (0.020 in).[3]
Juveniles anchor themselves into plants,[4] though are mobile for a few days after hatching.[3]
Adults are around 1.75 to 4.2 millimeters (0.069 to 0.165 in) in length and gray or pink-white in color.[4]
The insects produce a distinctive smell, produced by butyric acid, linalool, vanillin, 2-methylbutyric acid, and 3-methylbutyric acid.[5]
Life history
Ceroplastes japonicus have one generation per year.[3][4] Eggs are laid in May to July and hatch from June to August.[3] The insects become adults around mid-October or September in Russia.[3] The mating season lasts until late-October.[3] Adult males are generally short-lived and die after mating while females are capable of overwintering.[3][4]
Distribution
Ceroplastes japonicus is native to East Asia.[3] They were accidentally spread in Europe and Western Asia, spreading throughout several nations.[3] Ceroplastes japonicus specimens have also been reported in the United States and the United Kingdom, but do not have an established population.[3][4] They are a pest to ornamental plants in Northern and Central Italy and Zhejiang and agricultural plants in Georgia and Southern Russia.[3]
References
- ^ a b "Ceroplastes japonicus" (PDF). Cooperative Agriculture Pest Survey. Purdue University. September 25, 2025. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
- ^ "Ceroplastes japonicus Green, 1921 (Coccidae: Ceroplastes)". scalenet.info. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Ceroplastes japonicus" (PDF). Cooperative Agriculture Pest Survey. Purdue University. December 23, 2011. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e "JAPANESE WAX SCALE (Ceroplastes japonicus)" (PDF). Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. November 14, 2024. Retrieved April 18, 2026.
- ^ Sakurai, Kazutoshi; Tomiyama, Kenichi; Yaguchi, Yoshihiro; Asakawa, Yoshinori (2020). "The characteristic smell emitted from two scale insects, Ceroplastes japonicus and Ceroplastes rubens". Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry. 84 (8): 1541–1545. doi:10.1080/09168451.2020.1763156. ISSN 1347-6947. PMID 32419623.