44 



ILLINOIS NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY CIRCULAR 47 



pie, this species is found on several kinds of maples and a variety 

 of other trees and shrubs. The infestations may be heavy enough 

 to kill twigs, branches, limbs, and, occasionally, entire trees. 

 The scale insects secrete great quantities of honeydew that drips 



Fig. 32. — Cottony maple scale: infestation on soft maple. An infesta- 

 tion of this insect can be identified easily by the masses of white wax, each 

 of which contains hundreds of eggs. 



on branches and foliage of infested trees, and on sidewalks and 

 automobiles below. A sooty mold that sometimes grows in the 

 honeydew causes branches and foliage to appear black. 



The partly grown, brown, oval, female scale overwinters on 

 a twig or branch. She grows rapidly in the spring and lays hun- 

 dreds of eggs in a mass of cottony threads. Heavily infested 

 branches appear as if decorated with popcorn. When the eggs 

 hatch in June or July, young scales migrate to the leaves, where 

 they settle and suck food from the leaf tissue. The males and 

 females become mature in August; after mating, each female 

 crawls back to a twig for the winter. 



Control Measure 5 (end of circular) late in the winter or 

 Control Measure 3 in summer. Fortunately, cottony maple scale 

 has many natural enemies which help control it. However, at 

 times sprays may be needed. 



