Ceroplastes Rusci - Yet another Fig Tree pest

[Hansuld]

I just recently discovered that my fig tree is being attacked by all registered fig tree pests. This is one I dont think America has, yet. Easy to spot and easy to get rid of if you find It fast enough. Is a coccidae insect (shielded mealybug).

In case any of you want to know how It looks:

[JCT]

Geez! Another good reason to prevent unlicensed importation of cuttings and plants! Thank you for the information, those things look horrible. Like something out of a bad horror movie.

[Halligan-]

Somebody else posted photos of what looked like that a few weeks ago. I think they were In Florida?

Seems like it may have crossed the pond

[JR]

Scale (coxinillas) operate in a simbiotic relationship with ants... which do cultivate these pests - mealy bugs as well- distributing their eggs on the plants of their choice and then to collect their sugary excrements to feed the colony ...Very common on figs specialy if you let ants to multiply.
Scale is known in America since the days of Eisen and Condit being a common reference on some of their scientific papers
Believe it's already well known by many growers and collectors.

[Hansuld]

For what I know, It only produce 2 generations/year, so unless you let It go wild is pretty easy to manage. During winter most of them die and some survive until spring. I also found a big dead one which was hollow and in the inside there was a pupae of what I think is some kind of pararisitic wasp. I post a Pic of the wasp as soon as It hatches.