Cottony camellia scale

Cottony camellia scale (lat. Pulvinaria floccifera) is a significant pest belonging to the Coccidae family (soft scales) within the order Hemiptera. This sap-sucking insect is widely distributed in greenhouses, nurseries, and ornamental gardens, frequently causing damage to foliage and stems of a variety of woody plants.

The host range of this pest is quite broad, including species such as Camellia, Euonymus, Citrus, Hedera, and various greenhouse shrubs. Infestation often begins on the undersides of leaves, and if left untreated, the scale population can quickly cover branches and twigs, leading to significant physiological stress for the host plant.

The life cycle involves egg, nymph (crawler), and adult stages. The most distinctive feature is the long, white, cotton-like ovisac (egg sac) produced by the female, which protects hundreds of eggs. Crawlers are the only active mobile stage and are responsible for the spread of the pest during the spring and early summer months.

Damage is characterized by the direct removal of plant sap, leading to leaf chlorosis, stunted growth, and premature leaf drop. Furthermore, the excretion of honeydew promotes the growth of black sooty mold, which coats the foliage and severely inhibits photosynthesis, aesthetically ruining ornamental plants and reducing their vitality.

Effective management requires an integrated approach to plant protection:

• Regular monitoring and physical removal of infested leaves or branches for minor populations.
• Application of horticultural oils or insecticidal soaps to suffocate the crawler stage.
• Use of systemic insecticides that are taken up by the plant tissue for long-term control.
• Pruning and destroying severely infested plant parts to reduce the source of infection.
• Encouraging natural predators and avoiding broad-spectrum pesticides that kill beneficial insects.