Update on crapymyrtle bark scale©

X. Cai, H. Dou, M. Gu, M. Merchant, E. Vafaie

INTRODUCTION
Crapemyrtle (Lagerstroemia) is a $46M (farmgate wholesale value) crop. It is the number one deciduous flowering tree in the nursery trade. In the summer, crapemyrtle is one of the main flowering trees and flowers for 2-3 months. Except for minor problems such as crapemyrtle aphids and powdery mildew, the plant has been generally considered as low maintenance, and used extensively in landscape in the Southeastern United States and other regions. A new, highly unsightly pest, the crapemyrtle bark scale (CMBS), threatens to change the low maintenance reputation of this plant. The crapemyrtle bark scale (Eriococcus lagerstroemia) is a felt scale (Coccoidea: Eriococcidae) identified in 2014 through DNA work and morphological studies. It was first observed in 2004 in Richardson, Texas, a suburb of Dallas.
Cai, X., Dou, H., Gu, M., Merchant, M. and Vafaie, E. (2016). Update on crapymyrtle bark scale©. Acta Hortic. 1140, 415-418
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1140.94
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2016.1140.94
English

Acta Horticulturae