
Albaricoque
How to recognize and combat brown scale or vine scale on apricots
Brown Cochineal Or Vine Mealybug
Insect
Type:
Risk to the plant:
MILD
Parthenolecanium Corni
Pathogen:

Caparretas
WHO CAUSES IT?
Parthenolecanium corni, known as the brown cochineal or vine mealybug, is an insect of the Coccidae family that mainly affects fruit trees and ornamental plants. This insect goes through several stages of development: egg, nymph and adult. Adult females are brown and have a hard protective cover. They deposit their eggs under this cover, which hatch in the spring, giving rise to mobile nymphs that disperse throughout the plant. The nymphs attach themselves to the leaves and branches, where they feed on the sap. After several molts, the nymphs become adults. Males are rare and reproduction is usually parthenogenetic, that is, without the need for fertilization. This cycle repeats annually, with one generation per year in temperate climates and multiple generations in warmer climates.
SYMPTOMS
In apricot, infestation by Parthenolecanium corni produces the disease known as brown vine scale. This pest weakens plants by sucking sap, which affects growth and fruit production. Additionally, the secretion of honeydew by mealybugs encourages the growth of sooty mold fungi, which cover the leaves and fruits, reducing photosynthesis and product quality.
• Leaves sticky due to honeydew secretion.
• Presence of sooty mold fungi on leaves and fruits.
• Discoloration and weakening of the leaves.
• Reduction in plant vigor.
• Loss of fruits or decrease in their quality.
• Twigs and shoots with visible mealybugs.



DEVELOPMENT CONDITIONS
Temperature:
20ºC - 28ºC
Humidity:
60% - 80%
HOW IS IT SPREAD?
Wind, direct contact between plants, gardening tools, transportation of infested plants.
HOW TO ELIMINATE IT?
Home treatments
There are no home treatments
Natural allies
Chemical treatments
There are no treatments for this disease. Treatments are directed at the insect vectors that transmit it. See insect treatments.



















