Biological Characteristics And Integrated Control Of Ceroplastes Rubens Maskell On Ilex Cornuta

Ceroplastes rubens (Ceroplastes rubens Maskell) belongs to Hemiptera, Coccoidea,Coccidae, Ceroplastes. Ceroplastes rubens Maskell usually lives on the branches andleaves of the Ilex cornuta (Ilex cornuta Lindl.). The body of the Ceroplastes rubens is tinywith the shell is covered by wax. They also secrete waxy thus induce the sooty blotch,resulting in weak growth of the Ilex cornuta. If there are too much insects, they could leadthe death of the whole plant, and then affecting the ornamental value badly.This research studied morphological characteristics of the newly-hatched nymph ofCeroplastes rubens, the wax secretion characteristics and the body characteristics of theyoung nymph, the female3rdnymph, and the female adult insects. Further studies about thebiological characteristics of the annual life history and the spatial pattern on Ceroplastesrubens have been conducted. Finally, the ways of prevention and control of Ceroplastesrubens, especially by means of botanical pesticides, have also been carried on. The mainresults are as follows:(1) The newly-hatched nymph of Ceroplastes rubens has three pairs of developedchest feet, so that they can find the appropriate parts of the plant to fix themselves afterbirth. The shells of the Ceroplastes rubens shaped in “astral” in immature stage, thenturned into “turtle” in aging period. The “turtle shape” protuberance on the middle of thewax shell is corresponding with the waxy horns surrounding the sub-margin of the body.Two segments of the waxy horns are connected with the development of the nymph. Thewax secretion of Ceroplastes rubens is a product of its genetic evolution, so it hassignificant function for protecting itself. Therefore, it is very important to choice theappropriate time for preventing and control.(2) There is an generation of Ceroplastes rubens a year in Suzhou area, and it is onyoung shoots, petioles and leaves with fertilized female adults through winter. Theoverwintering adult females reach the boom incubation stage in late June. The spatialdistribution pattern of Ceroplastes rubens nymphs showed the trend of aggregateddistribution. The basic components of the distribution group for the individuals and mutual exclusion between individuals. The degree of aggregation increase with the populationdensity increase. Ceroplastes rubens nymphs are aggregated distribution at low density andevenly distribution at high density. Ceroplastes rubens has no population diffusionbehavior, so how to prevent and control the population of Ceroplastes rubens in the upperbranches of the Ilex cornuta and take action in fit period were key steps to prevent andcontrol the population of Ceroplastes rubens.(3) It was confirmed in field experiments that five kinds of chemical pesticides havegood control effect on the first Ceroplastes rubens nymphs, we suggest that4.5%cypermethrin EC2500times was effective way to control the swarming stage of the firstCeroplastes rubens nymphs at a normal period.(4) With the increasing of the concentration and the extension of the treatment time,the corrected mortality of the first Ceroplastes rubens nymphs also increase. It isrecommended to use the water extract of oleander’s leaves1:10, the alcohol extract ofoleander’s leaves1:10, the water extract of ginkgo biloba sarcotesta1:10, and the alcoholextract of ginkgo sarcotesta1:10to control the swarming stage of the first Ceroplastesrubens nymphs at a fixed period.