Turfgrass (Lecanopsisformicarum)Common Name: Turfgrass Scale
Latin Name: Lecanopsisformicarum
Appearance:
Scales on Bermudagrass are clam-shaped and white armored, measuring 0.06 inches (1.6 mm) in length. They may be found on the crown, stolons, and under the leaf sheaths of Bermudagrass. Due to large populations of bermudagrass scales, the stems and crowns of bermudagrass exhibit a white, rotten appearance.
The clam-shaped shields may be identified using a hand lens to examine the grass carefully. Female turfgrass scales are yellow and rectangular, with broad brown lateral stripes on either side. They have a width of 1.5 mm and a length of 2.5 mm.
Females lay the eggs, which are encased in a cottony mass. (The crimson nymphs that emerge from these eggs are small (about the size of a pinhead), and when squeezed, they leave a scarlet stain.)
Host plant:
Bermudagrass scale has been discovered feeding on a wide range of hosts from 29 species and six families. The grass is by far the most common host plant (Poaceae). According to accounts, it is a severe bermudagrass pest in high-maintenance landscapes like golf courses.
Territory:
Bermudagrass scales are found throughout in United States.
Damages caused by Turfgrass Scale: Drought and nutrient deficit symptoms are sometimes mistaken for scale damage. Your grass may seem withered and yellowish-brown in certain parts, but it will not react to watering. Your Weed Man will be able to diagnose the problem correctly.
Life history and habits:
Turfgrass scales are developed nymphs that overwinter as adults. In May and June, they mature into adults and generate cottony masses of silk containing the eggs. In late June and July, the eggs hatch into crawlers. Crawlers ascend to the end of leaf blades during the peak of their activity, giving them a crimson tint. They can be spread by the wind, on pets, shoes, etc. The crawlers settle on the grass plant’s crowns and eat until winter arrives. Turfgrass scales overwinter as little, salmon-colored nymphs 2-3 mm long. Nymphs spend the winter on the crowns of turfgrass plants and thatch in lawns.
