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John  F.  Anderson 
The  Red  Pine  Scale  in  North  America 


LEASE  HANDLE 
WITH  CARE 

University  of 
ronnecticut  Libraries 


GAVLORD  RG 


BULLETIN  765 


JULY  1976 


A  Report  to  the  1975  Eastern  Plant  Board 


THE  RED  PINE  SCALE 
IN  NORTH  AMERICA 


John  F.  Anderson 

Chairman 

Robert  P.  Ford 

John  D.  Kegg 

John  H.  Risley 


siveo 


UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 


STAiJ 


THE  CONNECTICUT  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION.  NEW  HAVEN 


\ 


Members  of  the  1974  Eastern  Plant  Board  appointed  a  four-man  committee  to  make  an  in- 
depth  evaluation  of  the  present  and  future  status  of  the  red  pine  scale,  Matsiicoccus  resinosae 
B.  &  G.,  in  North  America.  Herewith  is  our  report. 


John  F.  Anderson,  Chalrmarv 

Department  of  Entomology 

The  Connecticut  Agricultural  Experiment  Station 

New  Haven  06504 


Robert  P.  Ford 

USDA  Forest  Service,  Northeastern  Area 
State  and  Private  Forestry 
Portsmouth,  N.H.  03801 


John  D.  Kegg 

Division  of  Plant  Industry 

New  Jersey  Department  of  Agriculture 

Trenton  08625 


John  H.  Risley 

Division  of  Lands  and  Forest 

New  York  State  Department  of  Environmental  Conservation 

Sherburne   13460 


THE  RED  PINE  SCALE  IN  NORTH  AMERICA 


John  F.  Anderson,  Robert  P.  Ford,  John  D.  Kegg,  and  John  H.  Risley 


The  red  pine  scale  was  initially  found  in  1946  in 
red  pine  plantations  in  western  Connecticut  (Plumb 
1950).  The  infestation  was  extensive,  indicating  that 
the  insect  had  b^en  present  for  several  years  prior  to 
its  recognition.  It  was  recognized  as  an  undescribed 
species  of  Matsucoccus  and  subsequently  described 
and  named  Matsucoccus  resinosae  by  Bean  and  God- 
wan  ( 1955 ) .  It  now  occurs  in  Connecticut,  New  York, 
and  New  Jersey.  This  species  is  presently  estabhshed 
south  of  the  natural  range  of  red  pine,  but  it  is  mov- 
ing north  and  westward  and  may,  in  time,  infest  nat- 
ural stands.  Inasmuch  as  there  are  no  suitable  pro- 
cedures for  coping  with  this  pest,  which  kills  its  host, 
this  insect  must  be  considered  the  most  serious  pest 
of  red  pine. 

TAXONOMY 

Red  Pine 

( Harlow  and  Harrar  1958, 
Critchfield  and  Little  1966 ) . 

Order  •  Coniferales 

Family  •  Pinaceae 

Genus  •  Pinus 

Subgenus  *  Pinus 

Section  •  Pinus 

Subsection  •  Sylvestres 

Species  •  resinosa  Ait. 


Red  Pine  Scale 

( Bean  and  Godwin  1955 ) 

Order 

• 

Homoptera 

Superfamily 

« 

Coccoidea 

Family 

• 

Margarodidae 

Tribe 

• 

Matsucoccini 

Genus 

• 

Matsucoccus 

Species 

• 

resinosae  B.  &  G. 

BIONOMICS 

Red  Pine 

The  silvics  of  red  pine  have  been  discussed  by 
Powells  (1965).  It  ranges  through  southern  Canada 
from  Newfoundland  to  southeastern  Manitoba  and 
south  through  the  Lake  states  and  northeastern  U.S., 
with  outliers  in  Illinois  and  West  Virginia.  The  na- 
tural stands  of  red  pine  are  generally  confined  to 
sandy  soils  of  low  fertility,  although  it  is  often  found 
in  small  groups  near  swamps  and  on  rocky  cliffs. 
Heavy  cutting  in  the  early  1800s  depleted  many  nat- 
ural stands,  which  did  not  reproduce  because  of 
competition  from  more  aggressive  species  such  as 
hemlock,  white  pine,  and  hardwoods.  The  largest 
stands  now  occur  in  Quebec,  Ontario,  New  York, 
Minnesota,  Michigan,  and  Wisconsin  (Table  1). 

Red  Pine  Scale 

Life  Cycle.  The  life  cycle  has  been  discussed  in  de- 
tail by  Bean  and  Godwin  (1955)  and  Duda  (1961). 
The  stages  include  the  egg,  first  stage  larva,  inter- 
mediate stage,  and  adult. 

(a)  Egg.  These  hatch  in  15-20  days  in  the  labora- 
tory. Adults  of  the  overwintering  generation  lay  eggs 
from  May  until  the  first  week  of  July.  Adults  of  the 
summer  generation  lay  eggs  from  about  the  middle 
of  August  until  the  last  of  October.  Eggs  are  laid  in 
ovisacs  in  cracks  or  crevices  in  the  bark  and  axils  of 
branches,  under  loose  bark  scales,  and  on  needles. 

(b)  First  stage  larva.  This  is  the  overwintering 
stage.  Duration  varies  from  45-50  days  for  the  sum- 
mer generation  and  from  235-260  days  for  the  over- 
wintering generation.  The  newly  hatched  larvae  are 
active  and  may  crawl  considerable  distances  before 
settling  down  to  feed.  Suitable  feeding  sites  are  un- 
der loose  bark  scales  or  in  cracks  and  crevices  where 


Connecticut  Agricultural  Experiment  Station 


Bulletin  765 


the  crawlers  have  access  to  the  succulent  inner  bark. 
SessCe  or  motile  forms  of  this  stage  may  be  found 
throughout  the  year. 

(c)  Intermediate  stage.  This  is  a  sessile  feeding 
stage.  It  remains  in  the  same  location  selected  by  the 
first  stage  larva.  Intermediate  stages  of  the  overwin- 
tering generation  occur  in  the  latter  part  of  April  into 
early  July.  Those  of  the  summer  generation  occur 
from  mid  July  into  October. 

(d)  Adult.  The  male  forms  that  emerge  from  the 
cast  skins  of  the  intermediate  stages  are  not  true 
adults  but  pre-adults.  Almost  immediately  after  emer- 
gence, these  pre-adult  males  spin  a  loose,  fluffy, 
spindleshaped  cocoon  of  wa.xy  threads  whereupon 
transformation  to  the  true-adult  stage  occurs.  Females, 
which  do  not  pupate,  are  wingless  and  resemble  the 
pre-adult  males  but  are  much  larger.  They  crawl  over 
the  bark  in  search  of  suitable  oviposition  sites.  Males 
are  winged  and  locate  females  via  a  pheromone 
(Doane  1966).  Females  lay  an  average  of  262  eggs. 

(e)  Generations.  There  are  two  generations  per 
year  and  sometimes  there  is  a  partial  third  generation 
(Bean,  personal  communication). 

Dispersal.  Dispersal  mechanisms  are  not  thoroughly 
understood.  Females  are  wingless,  accounting  in  part 

Table  1.     Red  Pine  Round  wood  Resource  in  North  America 


million  cubic 

foot  volume 

Location 

Acres  of  Plantations' 

(all  stands)' 

USA 

Connecticut 

9,900 

58.7 

Maine 

15,700 

42.5 

Massachusetts 

7,400 

23.3 

Minnesota 

199,000 

199.5 

Michigan 

723,500 

289.6 

Ohio 

33,900 

16.3 

Pennsylvania 

32,200 

NA* 

Rhode  Island 

600 

11.8 

New  Hampshire 

16,000 

49.1 

New  Jersey 

9,500" 

NSV= 

New  York 

95,900 

327.3 

Vermont 

15,200 

32.9 

Wisconsin 

239,400 

241.1 

West  Virginia 

200 

NSV 

Indiana 

1,300 

NSV 

Iowa 

1,800 

NSV 

Canada' 

New  Brunswick 

45.0 

Nova  Scotia 

26.0 

Ontario 

750.0 

Quebec 

222.0 

TOTAL 

2335.1 

'Data  obtained  from  Kingsley  and  Mayer  ( 1972). 

'Data  obtained  from  the  most  recent  forest  survey  by  the  U.S. 

Forest  Service. 

'Data  obtained  from  Horton  and  Bedell  ( 1960). 

'NA  —  Not  available. 

''NSV  —  No  significant  volume. 

"Data  from  John  D.  Kegg. 


for  the  slow  spread  of  this  insect  (Doane  1959a). 
Also,  red  pine  is  sparsely  scattered  throughout  much 
of  the  infested  area  (Mclntyre  1956).  Presumably, 
natural  dispersal  occurs  only  during  the  motile  stages; 
i.e.  first  stage  larva  and  female.  First  stage  larvae  may 
become  air-borne  and  have  been  recorded  to  travel  a 
c^uarter  of  a  mile  (Bean  and  Godwin  1955).  Birds 
and  mammals  may  also  transport  the  motile  stages 
(Duda  1961).  Motor  vehicles  are  also  known  to  trans- 
port these  insects,  and  this  means  of  transport  may 
account,  in  part,  for  infestations  occurring  initially 
along  roadsides  (Duda  1961).  All  stages  may  be 
carried  on  nursery  stock  and  timber  and  other  red 
pine  products  that  are  transported  out  of  infested 
areas.  Wind,  however,  is  probably  the  natural  and 
most  important  means  of  dispersal. 

Natural  mortality  factors.  Life  table  studies  suggest 
that  the  primary  mortality  factor  is  the  degeneration 
of  phloem  cells  following  repeated  attacks  on  trees 
(Duda  1961).  This  effect  on  the  host  prevents  the 
establishment  of  first  stage  larvae.  Predators  are  also 
considered  important,  but  obviously,  these  biological 
agents  are  not  sufficient  to  protect  plantations  from 
being  heavily  infested.  Predators  include  Xenotra- 
cheliella  inimica  Drake  and  Harris  (Hemiptera:  An- 
thocoridae),  a  cecidomyid  that  preyed  upon  eggs, 
Chrysopa  sp.  nr.  cornea,  Hemerobius  stigmatus  Fitch, 
Mulsantina  picta  (Rand),  Crematogaster  cerasi  Fitch, 
and  mites  belonging  to  die  genus  Amjstis,  along  with 
several  species  of  spiders  and  nuthatches  (Duda  1961, 
Bean  and  Godwin  1955,  Plumb  1950).  No  insect 
pathogens  or  parasitoids  have  been  reported. 

Hartzell  ( 1957 )  reported  that  first  stage  larvae  were 
highly  susceptible  to  temperatures  of  — 10°F.  Few 
survived  two  exposures  of  —10°  for  four  hours.  This 
susceptibility  may,  in  part,  explain  the  slow  north- 
ward spread  of  this  insect. 

Hosts.  Aside  from  red  pine,  M.  resinosae  has  been 
reported  infesting  three  species  of  exotic  pines  in 
North  America.  Infestations  have  been  reported  on 
Chinese  pine  (P.  tabulaeformis  Carr. ),  Japanese  red 
pine  (P.  densiflora  Sieb.  and  Zucc. )  and  Japanese 
black  pine  (P.  thunbergiana  Franco)  (Hartzell  1957, 
Duda  1962,  1964b). 

Red  pine  scale  was  reported  not  to  attack  any  of 
the  following  eighteen  species  of  pine  (Hartzell 
1957): 


Pinus  ari.'itata  Engelm. 

P.  armandi  Franch. 

P.  ayacahuite  Ehrenb.  (P.  hamata  Roezl.) 

P.  hungeana  Zucc. 

P.  cembra  L.  var.  sibirica  Loud. 

P.  flexilis  James 

P.  griff ithii  McClelland  (P.  exceha  Wall.) 


The  Red  Pine  Scale  in  North  America 


P.  heldreichii  Christ,  var.   leucodermis   (Ant.)   Markgraf  ex 

Fitschen. 
P.  koraiensis  Sieb.  &  Zucc. 
P.  lamhertiana  Dougl. 
P.  monticola  Dougl. 
P.   mugo  Turra  var.   rostrata  Hoopes    (P.  montana  Mill.,  P. 

uncinata  Ramond.) 
P.    nigra   poiretiana    (Ant.)    Aschers.    &   Graebn.    (P.    laricio 

Poir.  var.  calahrica  Loud. ) 
P.  parviflora  Sieb.  &  Zucc.  (P.  pentaphylla  Mayr.) 
P.  pence  Griseb. 
P.  ponderosa  Dougl. 
P.  rigida  MUl. 
P.  sylvestris  L.  var.  rigensis  Loud. 

Survival  in  cut  logs.  Infested  trees  have  been  and 
are  continuing  to  be  salvaged  and  are  often  shipped 
outside  of  infested  areas.  These  salvage  operations 
are  often  carried  out  during  the  wanter,  and  the  ques- 
tion arises  as  to  whether  the  first  stage  larvae  can 
survive  to  adulthood  the  following  spring  on  cut  logs. 
Data  by  Duda  (1964a)  suggest  that  survival  does  oc- 
cur and  that  logs  could  carry  this  species  unless  they 
are  debarked  or  otherwise  utilized  in  such  a  fashion 
that  would  destroy  the  overwintering  larvae. 

Geographical  distribution.  Red  pine  scale  occurs  in 
Connecticut,  New  York,  and  New  Jersey.  The  in- 
fested areas  within  these  states  are  shown  in  Figure  1. 
In  Connecticut,  infestations  have  been  moving  north 
and  eastward  at  a  rate  of  about  1  or  2  miles  per  year, 
though  in  recent  years  the  spread  may  be  more  rapid. 
This  scale  presently  occurs  throughout  much  of  Fair- 
field and  New  Haven  Counties,  southern  Litchfield 
County,  southern  portions  of  Hartford  County,  a 
western  portion  of  Middlesex  County,  and  one  loca- 
tion in  New  London  County. 

The  initial  infestation  in  New  Jersey  was  found 
near  the  Wanaque  Reservoir  in  Passaic  County.  All 
infestations  to  date  have  occurred  within  10  miles  of 
the  initial  infestation.  Infestations  also  occur  in  Ber- 
gen County. 

In  New  York,  red  pine  scale  was  initially  found  in 
1950  in  East  Norwich,  Long  Island,  and  in  lower 
Westchester  County.  Spread  has  been  at  1  to  5  miles 
per  year.  The  scale  now  occurs  in  all  but  the  north- 
western part  of  Westchester  County,  on  most  of  Long 
Island,  in  southeastern  Putnam  County,  the  extreme 
southeastern  tip  of  Orange  County  and  the  extreme 
southwestern  tip  of  Rockland  County. 

RELATED  SPECIES  AND  THEIR 
GEOGRAPHICAL  DISTRIBUTION 

Red  Pine 

The  following  species  all  belong  to  the  subsection 
Sylvestres  and  are  closely  related  to  P.  resinosae 
(Critchfield  and  Little  1966) : 

P.  tropicalis  Morelet,  Tropical  pine.  Isle  of  Pines  and  western 
Cuba. 


P.  nigra  Arnold,  Austrian  pine.  Ranges  widely  through  south- 
em  Europe  from  Spain  to  Austria  and  throughout  much  of  the 
Balkan  Peninsula  east  to  southern  Russia  and  south  to  Turkey, 
on  the  islands  of  Cyprus,  Sicily,  and  Corsica,  with  outliers  in 
Algeria  and  Morocco. 

P.  heldreichii  Krist,  Heldreich  pine.  Balkan  Peninsula  and 
southern  Italy. 

P.  mugo  Turra,  Swiss  mountain  pine.  Central  and  southern 
Europe,  ranging  east  to  the  USSR,  south  to  Rumania,  Bulgaria 
and  central  Italy,  north  to  Germany  and  Poland,  and  west  to 
eastern  Spain. 

P.  pinaster  Ait.,  Maritime  pine.  Ranges  from  the  Iberian 
Peninsula  to  southern  France,  to  the  west  coast  of  Italy,  in 
northern  Africa  from  Morocco  to  Tunisia,  and  to  the  islands  of 
Corsica  and  Sardinia. 

P.  halepensis  Mill.,  Aleppo  pine.  Widely  distributed  in  the 
Mediterranean  region. 

P.  hrutia  Ten.  The  eastern  Aegean  region,  Turkey,  the 
Levant,  on  the  Mediterranean  islands  of  Crete  and  Cyprus,  and 
in  the  Black  Sea  region. 

P.  sijlvestiis  L.,  Scotch  pine.  This  is  the  most  widely  dis- 
tributed species  of  pine  and  grows  throughout  northern  Eurasia, 
from  Scotland,  southern  Spain,  northern  Greece  and  northern 
Turkey  to  northern  Manchuria,  and  the  Sea  of  Okhotsk. 

P.  densiflora  Sieb.  &  Zucc,  Japanese  red  pine.  Japan,  Korea, 
to  eastern  Manchuria  and  adjacent  USSR,  and  the  Shantung 
Peninsula  of  China.  Its  distribution  on  the  mainland  of  Asia  is 
uncertain. 

P.  thunbergiana  Franco,  Japanese  black  pine.  Japan  and 
southern  Korea. 

P.  massoniana  Lamb.,  Masson  pine.  Widely  distributed  in 
China. 

P.  taiwanensis  Hayata,  Taiwan  red  pine.  Taiwan. 

P.  hichuensis  Mayr,  Luchu  pine.  Ryukyu  Islands  between 
Japan  and  Taiwan. 

P.  htvangshanensis  Hsia,  Hwangshan  pine.  Central  China. 

P.  tahulaeformis  Carr.,  Chinese  pine.  Occupies  a  broad  dis- 
continuous belt  in  China. 

P.  tjunnanensis  Franch.,  Yunnan  pine.  Confined  to  Yunnan, 
southern  Szechuan,  and  the  western  parts  of  Kwangsi  and 
Kweichow. 

P.  insidaris  Endl.,  Khasi  pine.  Southeast  Asia. 

P.  merkusii  Jungh  and  deVriese,  Merkus  pine.  Ranges  from 
eastern  Burma,  northern  Laos,  northern  Viet  Nam  and  the 
island  of  Hainan,  south  to  Cambodia,  southern  Viet  Nam  and 
the  island  of  Sumatra,  and  east  to  the  Philippine  Islands. 

Red  Pine  Scale 

The  following  species  also  belong  to  the  genus 
Matsucoccus  (Bean  and  Godwin  1955,  Duda  1961): 

Species  of 


Matsucoccus 

Host 

Nearctic 

Distribution 

acalyptus  Herbert 

Pinus  edulis 

California,  Arizona, 

Engelm. 

New  Mexico,  Utah, 

P.  monophylla 

Colorado,  and  Idaho 

T.  &  F. 

P.  balfouriana 

G.  &  B. 

P.  aristata 

Engelm. 

alahamae  Morr. 

Pinus  sp. 

Alabama 

bisetosus  Morr. 

P.  ponderosa 

California,  Oregon, 

Laws. 

and  Arizona 

P.  jeffreyi 

G.  &B. 

Connecticut  Agricultural  Experiment  Station 


Bulletin  765 


Species  of 

Matsucoccus 

Host 

Nearctic  (cont.) 

P.  sabiniana 

Dougl. 
P.  radiata 

D.  Don. 
P.  contorta 

Dougl, 

Distribution 

californicus  Morr. 

P.  ponderosa 
P.  jeffreyi 

California  and 
Arizona 

degeneratus  Morr. 

P.  ponderosa 

Arizona 

eduli  Morr. 

P.  edulis 

Arizona 

fasciulensis  Herbert 

P.  ponderosa 

California  and 

P.  jeffreyi 

Oregon 

P.  sabiniana 

gallicolus  Morr. 

P.  rigida 

New  England  west 

Mill. 

to  Ohio  and 

P.  echinata 

Mis.souri  and  south 

Mill. 

to  Florida  and 

P.  ponderosa 

Georgia 

P.  taeda  L. 

P.  virginiana 

Mill. 

P.  glabra  Walt. 

P.  serotina 

Michx. 

monophyllae  McK. 

P.  monophylla 
P.  edulis 

California 

paucicicatrices 

P.  lamhertiana 

California,  Oregon, 

Morr. 

Doug. 

Montana,  and 

P.  monticola 

Wyoming 

Doug. 

P.  flexilis 

James 

secretus  Morr. 

P.  ponderosa 

California,  Nevada, 
Arizona.  New 
Mexico,  and 
Colorado 

subdegeneratus 

P.  occidentalis 

Dominican  Republic 

Morr. 

(cubensis)  Griseb. 

vexillorum  Morr. 

P.  ponderosa 

California,  Nevada, 
Arizona,  New 
Mexico,  and 
Colorado 

macrocicatnces 

P.  strobus  L. 

Ontario,  Quebec, 

Richards 

New  Brunswick, 
Nova  Scotia,  and 
New  Hampshire 

Palearctic  &  Oriental 

M.  boratynskii 

Pinus  sp. 

Russia 

Borkhsenius 

M.  feytaudi 

P.  maritima 

France 

Ducasse 

Mill. 

M.  josephi 

P.  halepensis 

Israel 

Bodenheimer  & 

Mill. 

Harpaz 

M.  pini  (Green) 

P.  sylvestris  L. 

England 

M.  matsumurae 

P.  thunbergiana 

Japan 

( Kuwana ) 

Franco 

M.  sinensis  Chen 

P.  yunnanensis 
Franch. 

China 

M.  yunnanensis 
Ferris 

P.  yunnanensis 
Franch. 

China 

ORIGIN  OF  RED  PINE  SCALE 

The  origin  is  unknown.  The  suggestion  was  made 
that  it  was  brought  into  this  country  on  pines  planted 
on  the  grounds  of  the  World  Fair  in  1937  and  then 
carried  to  Connecticut  (Doane  1959b). 

Although  its  origin  is  unknown,  the  evidence  sug- 
gests tliat  it  is  indeed  an  imported  pest  from  Eurasia. 
Red  Pine  is  the  only  species  of  the  typically  Eurasian 
group  of  pines  in  the  subsection  Sylvestres  that  is  na- 
tive to  North  America  (Critchfield  and  Little  1966). 
The  host  range  of  M.  resinosae  is  unknown,  but  aside 
from  red  pine,  it  does  attack  three  species  of  pine,  P. 
densiflora,  thunbergiana,  and  tahulaeformis  that  are 
native  to  Asia.  It  is  not  known  to  infest  species  of  pine 
that  occur  naturally  in  Europe.  These  data  suggest 
that  red  pine  scale  may  have  originated  on  a  species 
of  pine  native  to  Asia. 

EFFECT  ON  HOST 

Infested  red  pine,  including  mature  trees,  eventual- 
ly die  from  the  feeding  of  the  scale  (Bean  and  God- 
win 1955,  Duda  1961,  Doane  1959b).  Trees  often  die 
quickly  with  little  stunting  or  change  in  form  (Duda 
1961).  The  progressive  morphological  and  histological 
effects  on  the  tree  have  been  described  (Bean  and 
Godwin  1955,  Duda  1961).  Plumb  (1950)  suggested 
that  death  may,  in  part,  be  caused  by  a  toxin  pro- 
duced by  the  scale. 

Japanese  red  pine  has  succumbed  to  scale  attack 
in  New  York. 

CHEMICAL  CONTROL 

No  methods  are  available  to  protect  plantations 
from  succumbing  to  scale  attack.  Ornamental  pines 
may  be  protected  by  spraying  repeatedly  with  a  2% 
oil  emulsion  (Bean  and  Godwin  1955).  Weekly  ap- 
plications of  Cygon  and  malathion  against  motile  first 
stage  larvae  are  also  effective,  though  neither  of  these 
two  insecticides  is  registered  for  this  use  (Duda,  per- 
sonal communication). 

POTENTIAL  IMPACT  OF  RED  PINE  SCALE 

M.  resinosae  is  attacking  trees  outside  the  natural 
range  of  red  pine.  Should  the  scale  extend  into  the 
natural  range  of  its  host,  red  pine  would  become  a 
rare,  rather  than  an  uncommon  species.  It  is  suspected 
that  the  red  pine  in  stands  would  be  killed,  but  some, 
if  not  many,  isolated  trees  might  survive.  Reproduc- 
tion of  natural  stands  would  be  unlikely  because  of 
unsatisfactory  seedbed  and  sunlight. 

Red  pine  is  a  relatively  unimportant  species  in 
terms  of  the  total  forest  of  North  America.  It  supplies 
a  very  small  fraction  of  the  timber  harvested  when 
compared  to  white  pine,  southern  pines,  Douglas  fir, 
and  Ponderosa  pine.  The  chief  value  of  red  pine  Hes 


The  Red  Pine  Scale  in  North  America 


in  its  adaptability  to  reforest  on  dry  sites,  its  aesthetic 
aspects,  and  its  use  as  pulp,  posts  and  poles.  The 
popularity  of  red  pine  for  reforestation  is  evident  by 
the  many  plantations  ( Table  1 )  ( Kingsley  and  Mayer 
1972). 

Potential  losses  of  red  pine  are  in  the  millions  of 
cubic  feet  of  both  natural  and  planted  stock.  The 
total  red  pine  round  wood  that  is  threatened  is  shown 
in  Table  1. 

Damage  to  red  pine  cannot  be  measured  in  saw 
timber  or  pulpwood  values  alone.  The  impact  on 
aesthetic  values  is  illustrated  in  New  Jersey  where  in 
a  single  year  156  ornamental  red  pines  were  cut  and 
burned  because  they  were  infested  (Kegg  1974).  If 
these  trees  were  replaced,  the  cost  would  average 
$150  per  tree. 

PRESENT  STATE  POLICIES 

Connecticut  guidelines  are  as  follows: 

(1)  Shippers  of  red  pine  timber  are  encouraged  to 
move  their  products  during  the  cold  months. 

(2)  Movement  of  red  pine  at  any  time  within 
Connecticut  from  one  uninfested  location  to  another 
is  permissible. 

(3)  Movement  of  red  pine  at  any  time  during  the 
year  from  one  location  to  another  within  the  infested 
area  is  permissible. 

(4)  Nurserymen  within  infested  areas  are  en- 
couraged to  destroy  their  plantings. 

The  New  Jersey  State  Board  of  Agriculture  declared 
the  red  pine  scale  a  "dangerously  injurious  insect"  in 
1961,  and  efforts  were  initiated  to  remove  and  destroy 
all  known  infestations.  This  policy  continues  to  the 
present.  The  purpose  of  destroying  infested  trees  is  to 
reduce  spreading  the  insect  to  pines  in  other  areas  of 
the  state.  To  date,  331.5  acres  of  plantation  and  over 
1,000  ornamental  red  pines  have  been  cut  and  des- 
troyed. 

New  York  has  no  quarantine  on  the  red  pine  scale. 
Some  eradication  was  attempted  to  1969,  but  this 
pohcy  has  been  discontinued. 

CONCLUSIONS 

(1)  Biological  control.  Scale  insects  have  been  the 
targets  of  numerous  successful  biological  control  at- 
tempts (DeBach  et  al.  1971).  In  fact,  the  proportion 
of  success  has  been  higher  in  the  coccoideae  than  in 
any  other  group  of  pests. 

M.  resinosae  may  be  found  in  Eurasia.  Biologi- 
cal control  agents  could  then  be  shipped  to  the 
United  States  for  colonization.  Efforts  could  also 
be  expended  to  colonize  on  M.  resinosae  natural 
enemies  isolated  from  other  Matsucoccus  species 
in  North  America  and  Eurasia.  Several  successful 
biological  controls,  using  enemies  of  allied  species, 
have  been  reported  (Pimentel  1963).  This  latter  ap- 


proach would  of  necessity  require  a  thorough  study 
of  the  bionomics  of  the  genus  Matsucoccus. 

(2)  Regulatory  measures.  Regulations  that  could 
be  used  to  limit  the  spread  of  this  insect  need  ex- 
amination. A  quarantine  was  rejected  by  the  Eastern 
Plant  Board  in  1965  because  the  scale  had  already 
spread  considerably.  Nevertheless,  the  State  of  New 
Jersey  does  quarantine  and  it  would  seem  that  some 
regulatory  measures  might  impede  the  progress  of  this 
insect  at  least  until  satisfactory  methods  of  coping 
with  it  have  been  developed.  Two  suggestions  follow: 

a.  Determine  the  feasibility  of  removing  major 
scale  infestations  around  parking  lots,  picnic  and 
recreational  areas  and  along  major  highways. 

b.  Determine  the  feasibility  of  establishing  a 
barrier  zone  with  the  assistance  of  federal  funds. 

(3)  Dispersal.  Intensive  experiments  on  disper- 
sal mechanisms  of  the  red  pine  scale  seem  worth- 
while. 

(4)  Weather.  The  role  of  low  winter  tempera- 
tures in  limiting  the  spread  of  this  species  into  the 
natural  red  pine  growing  areas  of  North  America 
needs  re-examination. 

(5)  Host.  The  mechanisms  by  which  the  scale 
ultimately  kills  the  tree  need  investigation. 

(6)  Chemical  control.  Methods  of  controlling 
scales  on  ornamental  trees  with  chemicals  need  to 
be  re-examined  and  thoroughly  studied. 

(7)  Early  detection.  Methods  of  early  detection 
of  infestations  need  to  be  developed. 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 

We  express  our  appreciation  to  the  following  individuals  who 
contributed  to  the  report: 

Charles  C.  Doane,  George  R.  Stephens,  and  George  W. 
Schuessler,  The  Connecticut  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 

Jim  Bean  and  Neal  Kingsley,  U.S.  Forest  Service 

Edward  J.  Duda,  University  of  Connecticut 

E.  G.  TerriU,  New  York  State  Department  of  Environmental 
Conservation 

Douglas  R.  Miller,  U.S.  Department  of  Agriculture 


Connecticut  Agricultural  Experiment  Station 


Bulletin  765 


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1:   164-176. 

Critchfield,  W.  B.  and  E.  L.  Little,  Jr.  1966.  Geographic  dis- 
tribution of  the  pines  of  the  world.  USDA  For.  Ser.  Misc. 
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DeBach,  P.,  D.  Bosen  and  C.  E.  Kennett.  1971.  Biological  con- 
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Doane,  C.  C.  1959a.  The  red  pine  scale,  Matsucoccus  resinosae. 
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.    1959b.   The  red  pine  scale.   Conn.  Agric.   Expt.   Sta. 

Circ.  207:  1-7. 

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red  pine  scale.  J.  Econ.  Entomol.  59:  1539-40. 

Duda,  E.  J.  1961.  Some  aspects  of  the  biology  and  ecology  of 
the  red  pine  scale,  Matsucoccus  resinosae  B.  &  G. 
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.   1962.  The  genus  Matsucoccus  with  special  reference 

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.    1964a.   Survival   of  the   red  pine  scale  on   cut  logs. 

Ibid.  2(10):  3,4. 

.1964b.  An  infestation  of  Matsucoccus  resinosae  B.  &  G. 

on  Pinus  thunbergii  Pari,  Ibid.  2(  10) :  9. 


Fowells,  H,  A.  (ed.).  1965.  Silvics  of  forest  trees  of  the  United 
States.  USDA-FS  Agricultural  Handbook  271 :  762  p. 

Harlow,  W.  M.  and  E.  S.  Harrar,  1958.  Te.\tbook  of  Den- 
drology. McGraw-Hill,  New  York.  561  p. 

Hartzell,  A.  1957.  Bed  pine  scale  with  special  reference  to  its 
host  plants  and  coldhardiness.  Contrib.  Boyce  Thompson 
Inst.  18:  421-28. 

Horton,  K.  W.  and  G.H.D.  Bedell.  1960.  White  and  red  pine. 
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Bull.  124. 

Kegg,  J.  D.  1974.  Red  pine  scale  status.  Unpubhshed  report. 
N.J.  Dept.  Agr.,  Trenton,  N.J.  1  p. 

King.sley,  N.  P.  and  C.  E.  Mayer.  1972.  The  e.xtent,  com- 
position, and  general  condition  of  Northern  conifer  plan- 
tations in  the  Northeast  region.  Unpublished  paper 
presented  at  the  Conference  on  the  Utilization  of  Planta- 
tion-grown  Northern   Softwoods,   Syracuse,   New  York. 

Mclntyre,  T.  1956.  Matsucoccus  resinosae  B.  &  G.  on  red  pine 
in  Connecticut.  lOth  Intern.  Congr.  Entomol.  Proc. 
(Montreal)   4:. 369-371. 

Pimentel,  D.  1963.  Introducing  parasites  and  predators  to  con- 
trol native  pests.  Canadian  Entomol.  95:  785-92. 

Plumb,  G.  H.  1950.  A  new  and  serious  insect  pest  of  red  pine. 
Conn.  Agric.  E.xpt.  Sta.  Special  Circ.  4  p. 


Figure     I.    Shaded    areas   show    infested    areas   of   red    pine   scale    In  Connecticut,    New    York,    New    Jersey    and    Long    Island. 


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