Is this mushroom or animal? I can remove the black dots by slightly scratching the leaves.
-
possible duplicate of Can anyone identify this abnormality that is on my dwarf citrus?– kevinskio ♦Commented Aug 23, 2013 at 10:56
-
@kevinsky: both are indeed certainly scale, eventhough it is not the same species.– RockScienceCommented Aug 23, 2013 at 17:47
Add a comment
|
1 Answer
If you can remove them from the leave then they are scale. Due to the dark colour I believe they are Black Scale (Saissetia oleae). They suck juices from the plant and excrete a sugary sap. Look for sticky leaves. Ants are sometimes seen in close company with these pests.
For small plants some control can be done with soap and water but a complete answer is here.
They are described here and an excellent answer on maintenance of citrus is here
Edit @RockScience feels they are a different species of scale for which a reference can be found here. Either way soap and water and possibly a toothbrush for "hands on" pest control will work.
answered Aug 23, 2013 at 10:55
-
thank you very much for your help. After some research based on your hint, it seems to be 'Parlatoria ziziphi', which is indeed a variety of black scale. The leaves are not really sticky but comparing my plant with pictures of this scale is clear. Commented Aug 23, 2013 at 16:43
-
dspace.unict.it/bitstream/10761/1219/1/… for a good reference Commented Aug 23, 2013 at 17:43