Scale insects (Hemiptera: Coccidae) on fruit trees in Serbia

Abstract

Scale insects from the Coccidae family are significant pests that can be found on a wide variety of plants. They are widely distributed in the world and cause significant economic damage to fruit trees, ornamental and forest trees. In our country, these species were mostly registered as pests in extensive orchards or on physiologically weakened plants. However, in recent years, their increasingly frequent occurrence has been noted in intensive plantations, where they occur in numerous populations and with increased damage. The presence, intensity of scale insect from the Coccidae family and symptoms of damage were determined in the period from 2014. to 2017. in the territory of Serbia by visual inspection of plants and the sampling method of attacked plant material from orchards. In fruit orchards from an area of one hectare, five trees were examined diagonally. The intensity of attack on plants was assessed according to the Borchsenius scale (1963). In Serbia, four species from the Coccidae family are present on fruit trees: Parthenolecanium corni, Parthenolecanium persicae, Sphaerolecanium prunastri, Eulecanium tiliae. The intensity of scale insects attack ranged from 1 (one individual present) to 3 and 4 (numerous colonies present). Scale insects feeding on the plants overground parts and honeydew secretion, leads to leaves wilting, plant growth and development slowdown, dying of the branches as well as whole plants.