Round scale insect - Round scale insect

A general term for insects in the order Hemiptera, suborder Homoptera, family Diaspididae. They are usually very small, with a body length of less than 4 mm. The shell is circular or oblong, with a slightly bulging surface, and some are hard and some are soft. The surface of the shell comes in a variety of colors, including white, gray, brown, dark red, and black. The shell of males is much smaller than that of females, and is often oblong. Adult females are winged, while adult males are smaller than females and are wingless or winged. The compound eyes consist of three ommatidia, and the antennae are particularly well developed. In the first instar, the larvae have antennae consisting of six segments, legs, and long tail hairs, but these disappear when they attach to the host plant. The larvae secrete a waxy substance to create the shell. There are many important pests, including the brown scale insect, the Yanon scale insect, and the black camellia scale insect, which damage citrus fruits and garden trees, and the pine pine scale insect, which parasitizes pine leaves.

[Masami Hayashi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱半翅(はんし)目同翅亜目マルカイガラムシ科Diaspididaeの昆虫の総称。普通、非常に小さく、体長は4ミリ以下。殻は円形か長形で、表面はわずかに膨らみ、硬いものと軟らかいものがある。殻の表面には、白色、灰色、褐色、暗赤色、黒色などいろいろな色彩がある。雄の殻は雌の殻よりかなり小さく、長形のことが多い。雌成虫は有翅で、雄成虫は雌より小さく、無翅または有翅。複眼は3個の個眼からなり、触角はとくに発達する。幼虫は、一齢期には6節からなる触角と、脚(あし)や長い尾毛をもっているが、寄主植物に固着するとこれらは消失する。幼虫はろう質の物質を分泌して殻をつくる。重要害虫が多く、ミカン類や庭木に加害するトビイロマルカイガラムシ、ヤノネカイガラムシ、ツバキクロカイガラムシ、マツの葉に寄生するマツカキカイガラムシなどがある。

［林　正美］

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