DETECTING A COLONY OF THE GLOBOSE SCALE (SPHAEROLECANIUM PRUNASTRI FONSC) ON AN APRICOT TREE IN THE MOSCOW REGION

Globose scales (Coccidae) are plant parasites that live in colonies and are well camouflaged outwardly on the host plant. They can propagate themselves greatly without control and weaken the plant and lead to its death. The climate features of recent decades, with mild winters, allow southern parasitic species to move to more north latitude areas, acclimatize and cause damage. In the Odintsovo District of the Moscow Region, a small colony of 131 specimens was discovered that were identified as the globose scale (Sphaerolecanium prunastri Fonsc) by morphological characteristics. There were already dead females, and first- and second-instar larvae on the apricot tree in the discovered colony. The focus occupied one branch about 1.5 cm thick and was only located on the underside. Rounded, dark chocolatecolored, slightly shiny, motionless beads of new growth were located on the bark in groups and separately. In the center of the colony, in groups, there were 5 and 3 specimens above, and two and one below. There were 34 female shells and 97 yellowbrown larvae in total. The size of the female shell varied in length of 3.1–3.4 mm, width of 3.0–3.1 mm and height up to 2.7 mm. The larvae on a branch did not exceed 1.5 millimeters in length. Small, hatched larvae (3–150 pcs.), lumps of white wax threads, and egg skins were found under the bellies of females. No live eggs were found. We suppose that the colony was no more than two years old by the time it was discovered. If the colony had been settled earlier, the number of parasites would have been significantly higher in the colony