Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Sternorrhyncha
Superfamily: Coccoidea
Family: Coccidae
Genus: Ceroplastes
Species: C. sinensis
Binominal name: Ceroplastes sinensis
Common name: Chinese wax scale, Citrus wax scale, Hard wax scale
Ceroplastes sinensis is a scale insect with an elliptical body which is convex in the lateral view. It is covered with a thick wax covering. The females lay eggs in a chamber under their body.
It was first thought to have been introduced from Asia but it is now thought that it originates from South America.
C. sinensis is a highly polyphagous pest found on the stems and leaves of a wide range of hosts. It prefers different citrus species (especially Citrus sinensis), Punica granatum, Laurus nobilis, Diospyros kaki, Camellia sinensis, Eriobotrya japonica, Juglans regia, Prunus persica, Pyrus spp. and many other plants including NZ natives. In New Zealand, it has been reported from most areas of the upper north islands.
Visit Landcare research for more details:
https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/science/plants-animals-fungi/animals/invertebrates/systematics/scale-insects/species-information-sheets/ceroplastes-sinensis
Photos are of adult females which have buttons and stripes of a different kind of wax that is left over from the immature stages. Photographed on an Avicennia marina [mangrove].
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
