Oak Lecanium – Parthenolecanium quercifex

Written by plant-admin on October 28, 2021.

Oak Lecanium (Parthenolecanium quercifex)

Common Name: Oak Lecanium

Latin Name: Parthenolecanium quercifex

Appearance:

Female mature coverings are brown, hemispherical, and up to 14″ (6 mm) in diameter.
There are no men found.
Crawlers are yellow.

Host plant:

Oaks (Quercus) and chinkapin predominate (Castanea pumila). Possible American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), hickory (Carya), and sycamore (Sycamore americana) (Platanus occidentalis)

Territory:

Oak Lecanium are also found in North Carolina

Damages caused by Oak Lecanium:

Crawlers eating on leaves in the summer often do not create any symptoms. Honeydew produced by moderate to severe infestations may attract other insects (mostly flies, wasps, and ants) and promote the spread of sooty mold. Particularly after the females’ maturity in mid- to late-spring, heavy or extended infestations may cause stunted growth and twig dieback.

Life history and habits:

Maryland has one generation every year. The duration of the crawler emergence phase is temperature-dependent and might vary from year to year. Mid-June is the approximate time to begin monitoring them. They overwinter as juveniles on the bark.