Holly Pit Scale – Asterolecanium puteanum

Written by plant-admin on October 28, 2021.

Holly Pit Scale (Asterolecanium puteanum)

Common Name: Holly Pit Scale

Latin Name: Asterolecanium puteanum

Appearance:

Adult females and nymphs (younger forms) of most species of scales are round or oval, lack wings, and have no discernible head or other body components.
Other scales undergo dramatic transformations as they mature; in some species, men and females seem very different.
Adult males are single-winged, small insects that range in color from pure white to yellow.
They have lengthy, rarely-seen antennae. Without males, females of several species of scales may breed alone.

Territory:

Holly Pit Scale is found throughout in United States.

Damages caused by Holly Pit Scale:

Damage to the tree’s woody tissues, including pitting and warping. The plant dies back when heavily infested.

Life history and habits:

The mature females spend the winter underground. The plant tissue damage that results in the pit results from eating. The summertime emergence of crawlers occurs gradually over several weeks. Nymphs do not relocate after they have chosen a perch on a plant.