Lepidosaphes beckii also known as purple scale, mussel scale, citrus mussel scale, orange scale, comma scale and mussel purple scale is a scale insect that is a pest of Citrus trees. The small insects attach themselves to leaves, fruits and small branches and cause injury by sucking the tree's sap.Citrus mussel scale. HYPPZ, accessed 22 January 2012.
The specific name beckii is in honour of historian Richard Beck.
Description Lepidosaphes beckii was originally described under the name Coccus beckii by English entomologist Edward Newman from a fruit imported to Great Britain. Newman's original description reads as follows:
The adult female citrus mussel scale is up to three millimetres long.Watson G. W. "Lepidosaphes beckii - Description" . Arthropods of Economic Importance - Diaspididae of the World, accessed 22 January 2012.
Host plants
These are usually Citrus host plant species such as sweet orange Citrus × sinensis.
Predators Predators of Lepidosaphes beckii include chalcid wasps from families Aphelinidae, Encyrtidae and Signiphoridae:"search for Mytilococcus beckii". Universal Chalcidoidea Database, accessed 22 January 2011.
Aphelinidae: Aphytis chrysomphali, Aphytis diaspidis, Aphytis holoxanthus, Aphytis lepidosaphes, Aphytis mytilaspidis, Encarsia citrina, Encarsia lounsburyi, Eretmocerus corni and Pteroptrix chinensis Encyrtidae: Adelencyrtus inglisiae, Metaphycus flavus and Ooencyrtus sp. Signiphoridae: Signiphora flavopalliata and Signiphora merceti
References This article incorporates public domain text from the reference
External links
photos of Lepidosaphes beckii