Lichtensia viburni Sign.

SPECIES: Lichtensia viburni ( order Diptera )

COMMON NAME: Viburnum cushion scale

SIZE: The adult female is about 5 mm

LIFECYCLE: Lichtensia viburni overwinters as a nymph; development completes in the following spring. In late spring, May-June, females lay eggs in their egg-sac. After about 2-3 weeks the nymphs emerge (first generation); this is followed by another generation (second generation) with the appearance of nymphs between August and September. These nymphs overwinter. Therefore, Lichtensia viburni can produce 1 or 2 generations per year. On olive trees, particularly in central and northern Italy, you can also find another cottony Cochineal: Euphilippia olivina, identifiable by its characteristic median grooves filled with nymphs; these are also covered with a waxy secretion. This scale insect also overwinters as a nymph but produces only one generation per year.

FEATURES: in egg-laying females the body is covered by a white, wax egg sac, produced by wax-producing glands on the back. The nymphs are yellow-green and oval. The male is winged and emerges from a stretched follicle.

HABITAT: present in all Italian olive-growing regions. It is found on Olive trees, mastic, myrtle, viburnum, and ivy.

DIET/DAMAGE: The insect infests the underside of leaves and buds, especially in the denser parts of the crown. Damage is caused by the feeding and production of honeydew that, besides asphyxiating the leaves, promotes the formation of sooty mould, further aggravating the damage. The sprouts affected manifest reduced development and general decay of the plant. However, serious infestations only rarely appear and these remain limited to a few plants.

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