Ad. Loch et Mp. Zalucki, VARIATION IN LENGTH, FECUNDITY AND SURVIVAL OF PINK WAX SCALE, CEROPLASTES RUBENS MASKELL (HEMIPTERA, COCCIDAE), ON UMBRELLA TREES, Australian journal of zoology, 45(4), 1997, pp. 399-407
We investigated some of the factors that may lead to outbreaks of pink
wax scale, Ceroplastes rubens Maskell, on umbrella trees, Schefflera
actinophylla (Endl.). Estimates of birth and death rates of pink wax s
cale were high and variable within and among trees; variation in these
rates was not related to scale density. Adult fecundity correlated si
gnificantly but weakly with adult test length; mean fecundity was 292
eggs per female with a range of 5-1178. Adult test length and its vari
ance decreased weakly with increasing density. Field experiments showe
d that mortality of C. rubens is greatest during the first 24 hours af
ter hatching when approximately half disappear. The rate of loss decre
ases over time with 0.3% of initial motile first-instar nymphs survivi
ng to maturity. Rates of loss varied significantly between trees, indi
cating that some trees are more suitable for scale colonisation and su
rvival.