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Plumichiton flavus (Maskell)

[Plumichiton flavus]. Adult female.

[Plumichiton flavus]. Adult female.

William Maskell named this species in 1884, for its golden colour. Sometimes it is browner in colour.

Biology: one generation per year. Probably overwinters as the young adult female. Much honeydew is produced by colonies of this scale insect; this was particularly notable in Fiordland, where the host trees were blackend with sooty mould living on the honeydew. Is susceptible to attack by the "orange puffs" fungus, Hypocrella duplex.

Found on the stems and leaves of:

Beilschmiedia tawa tawa
Brachyglottis sp.   
Elaeocarpus dentatus hīnau
Hebe elliptica  
Hedycarya arborea porokaiwhiri / pigeonwood
Leptospermum sp.  
Melicytus ramiflorus māhoe / whiteywood
Myrsine australis māpou / red matipou
Myrsine salicina toro
Pittosporum sp.  
Prumnopitys ferruginea miro
Pseudowintera axillaris horopito
Pseudowintera colorata horopito / pepper tree
Ripognum scandens   kareao / supplejack
Weinmannia racemosa kāmahi