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Striped pine scale

Toumeyella pini

Fig. 1. Toumeyella pini adult female on Pinus caribaea var. bahamensis in Carmichael, New Providence,

Bahamas © C. Malumphy

The striped pine scale, Toumeyella pini (King, 1901) (Hemiptera: Coccidae), feeds exclusively on

pines, and causes damage both directly by its feeding and indirectly due to its associated sooty

moulds growing on the honeydew excreted by the insects. It was originally described from

specimens collected from Pinus austriaca in Canada and occurs widely in Eastern USA.

Toumeyella pini has not been recorded within the United Kingdom Overseas Territories but it has

been introduced to the Bahamas and there is a risk that it could spread to the Turks and Caicos

Islands (TCI) which form part of the same archipelago. The closely related pine tortoise scale

Toumeyella parvicornis (Cockerell) has had a devastating impact on the pine yards since its

accidental introduction to TCI.

Geographical distribution

Toumeyella pini is native to the Nearctic region (Ben-Dov, 2014; Kosztarab, 1996) and has recently

been introduced to the Bahamas (first collected in Andros in March 2008 and New Providence in

March 2009 by Martin Hamilton and Michele Sanchez).

Nearctic: Canada; USA.

Neotropical: Bahamas (Andros; New Providence) (New country record).

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Fig. 2 Toumeyella pini adult females on a pine © R.

Scott Cameron, Advanced Forest Protection, Inc.,

Bugwood.org

Fig. 3 Pine needles coated in sooty moulf due to an

infestation of Toumeyella pini © R. Scott Cameron,

Advanced Forest Protection, Inc., Bugwood.org

Fig. 4 Pinus caribaea var bahamensis shoot covered

in sooty mould and waxy deposits due to an

infestation of Toumeyella pini, Bahamas © Fera

Fig. 5 Toumeyella pini post-reproductive adult

female on Pinus caribaea var bahamensis, Bahamas

©Fera

Fig. 6 Toumeyella pini mature adult female

surrounded by sooty mould, Bahamas ©Fera

Fig. 7 Toumeyella pini empty male test surrounded

by sooty mould, Bahamas ©Fera

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Host plants

Toumeyella pini is oligophagous on pines (Ben-Dov, 2014).

Pinnaceae: Pinus austriaca, P. caribaea var. bahamensis (New host record), P. echinata, P.

eliottii, P. mugo, P. palustris, P. resinosa, P. rigida, P. serotina, P. sylvestris, P. taeda, P.

taeda, P. virginiana, Pinus spp..

Description

Teneral adult females are strongly convex, circular or oval in outline, reddish brown, with three

irregular, longitudinal, white bands (Figs 1-2). Mature post-reproductive females (Figs 5 and 6)

become a uniform, dull, brown colour; they can be up to 7 mm in length and 7 mm in width.

Toumeyella is a Neotropical and Nearctic genus containing 16 species which have been reviewed by

Kondo & Williams (2008), several species feed on pines. Detailed morphological descriptions and

illustrations of adult female T. pini are provided by Williams & Kosztarab (1972), Hamon & Williams

(1984) and Kosztarab (1996). Slide-mounted teneral adult female T. pini may be distinguished from

all other species found on pine by the presence of large conical pre-opercular pores. However, these

pores can be almost impossible to see in old, post-reproductive, heavily sclerotized females.

The adult male and tests (Fig. 7) are described by Miller & Williams (1990, 1995). Sheffer & Williams

(1990) provide a key for the identification of the first instars of eight species of Toumeyella, including

pini.

Pest biology, dispersal and detection

This scale appears to prefer to feed on the outer tips of branches and on newer growth (Kosztarab,

1996), and is rarely recorded on larger limbs. The life cycle of T. pini has been studied in the State of

Georgia (South Eastern USA) where it has three generations each year on P. taeda, and produced an

average of 1865 eggs per female (Clarke et al., 1989). Important natural enemies include a parasitoid

wasp Coccophagus lycimnia (Walker) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) and a predatory moth larva

Laetilia coccidivora (Comstock) (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

The main natural dispersal stage is the first instar or crawler which may be carried in wind currents

or on other animals. All stages may be moved over long distances and internationally with trade in

pine trees.

Large populations of T. pini are easily detected due to sooty mould (Figs 3-4), waxy deposits, poor

growth and needle loss. Low density populations can be very difficult to detect as the scales are

relatively small and cryptic.

Toumeyella pini is occasionally found together with T. parvicornis on the same host plant.

Economic importance and damage

Toumeyella pini is a moderate pest of pine. It reduces plant vigour and coats the tree with

honeydew which serves as a medium for the growth of sooty moulds, turning the needles

and bark black. However, its economic importance is difficult to assess due to confusion between

this species and T. parvicornis. It appears that at least some of the damage reported in the past to be

due to T. parvicornis should have been attributed to T. pini.

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References

Ben-Dov, Y. 2014. ScaleNet, Toumeyella pini. Accessed 16 June 2014.

http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov/catalogs/coccidae/Toumeyellapini.htm

Clarke, S. R., DeBarr, G. L. & Berisford, C. W. 1989. Life history of the woolly pine scale

Pseudophilippia quaintancii Cockerell (Homoptera: Coccidae) in loblolly pine seed orchards.

Journal of Entomological Science 24: 365-372.

Hamon, A. B. & Williams, M. L. 1984. The soft scale insects of Florida (Homoptera: Coccoidea:

Coccidae). Arthropods of Florida and Neighboring Land Areas. Fla. Dept. of Agric. & Consumer

Serv. Div. Plant Ind., Gainesville. 194 pp.

King, G.B. 1901. The Coccidae of British North America. Canadian Entomologist 33: 333-336.

Kosztarab, M. 1996. Scale insects of Northeastern North America. Identification, biology, and

distribution. Virginia Museum of Natural History, Martinsburg, Virginia. 650 pp.

Miller, G. L. & Williams, M. L. 1990. Tests of male soft scale insects (Homoptera: Coccidae) from

America north of Mexico, including a key to the species. Systematic Entomology 15: 339-358.

Miller, G. L. & Williams, M. L. 1995. Systematic analysis of the adult males of Toumeyella group,

including Mesolecanium nigrofasciatum, Neolecanium cornuparvum. Pseudophilippia

quaintancii and Toumeyella spp. (Homoptera: Coccidae) from America north of Mexico.

Contributions of the American Entomological Institute 28 (4): 1-68.

Sheffer, B. J. & Williams, M. L. 1990. Descriptions, distribution, and host-plant records for eight first

instars in the genus Toumeyella (Homoptera: Coccidae). Proc. Entomol. Soc. Washington 92: 44-

57.

Williams, M. L. & Kondo, T. 2008. Status and current composition of the soft scale insect genus

Toumeyella (Hemiptera: Coccidae). 29-32 In: Branco, M., Franco, J. C. & Hodgson, C. J. (Editors),

Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Scale Insect Studies, Oeiras, Portugal, 24-27

September 2007. ISA Press, Lisbon, Portugal. 322 pp.

Williams, M. L. & Kosztarab, M. 1972. Morphology and systematics of the Coccidae of Virginia with

notes on their biology (Homoptera: Coccoidea). Research Division Bulletin, Virginia Polytechnic

Institute and State University 74: 1-215.

Author: Chris Malumphy

Address: The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, UK. Email:

chris.malumphy@fera.gsi.gov.uk

Date: 16/06/2014 Version 1

The production of this datasheet was partly funded by the Biodiversity Programme of the

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.