Pine Tortoise Scale
Contact: Eric Day, Manager, Insect Identification Laboratory
Publication 444-267, August 1996
Pine Tortoise Scale
Homoptera: Coccidae, Toumeyella numismaticum
Plants Attacked
Hard pines - Scotch, Jack, Austrian, and Virginia.
Description of Damage
Foliage drops, needles usually shorter
and may kill tree over period of years - most damaging on
seedlings and young saplings.
Identification
Reddish-brown, convex, and oval. All stages
attack stems of plants.
Life History
These overwintering immatures mature by early
June. Each female may lay 500 eggs, the crawlers appear from
mid-June to early July. The males develop quickly and mate soon
after emerging then die. After mating, the females continue to
develop and overwinter in this condition. Overwintering stage
second instar. One generation per year.
Control
Heavily fed upon by predators and parasites. Two
sprays 10-14 days apart are recommended during crawler emergence
early in June.
Remarks
Has a wide range from Canada to the Gulf, and depending
on weather conditions a second generation may be produced.