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Ceroplastes destructor Newstead

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Soft wax scale

Newstead named this species destructor in 1917, presumably because it was causing problems in citrus orchards. The common name aptly describes the softness of the wax cover, which can be easily squished with finger pressure.

Status in New Zealand: an exotic (adventive) species, first recorded here in 1940. Soft wax scale is an important pest of citrus in Northland and Gisborne. Not found on native plants

[Ceroplastes destructor] - adult females. The one on the left is undamaged and shows the stripes of harder wax on its side. The female on the right's soft wax has been slightly squished.

[Ceroplastes destructor] - adult females. The one on the left is undamaged and shows the stripes of harder wax on its side. The female on the right's soft wax has been slightly squished.

Biology: one generation per year in New Zealand, overwintering as immature and adult females. The new generation is produced through summer and the young tend to settle on the leaves before moving to the stems. Soft wax scale is parthenogenetic and there are no males.

Found on the stems and underside of leaves of:

Actinidia deliciosa [kiwifruit], Citrus spp.[citrus, e.g., oranges, grapefruit, mandarins].