Landscape - Scale Insects: Minute Cypress Scale

This is the seventh in a series on scale insects in the landscape. This post is on the Minute Cypress Scale. Information is from the University of Maryland.

Minute Cypress Scale (Carulaspis minima), Family Diaspididae

Plants Damaged: Arborvitae, Chamaecyparis, Cryptomeria, junipers, spruce.

Damage Symptoms: Yellowing of foliage and dieback.

Life Cycle: One generation per year. Fertilized females overwinter and eggs hatch in May andvcrawlers are present from May through early June. Adult males and females are present in early July.

Monitoring: The scale are usually found on the leaf scales of small branches where they feed on the sap of the host plant. Minute cypress scale looks very similar to the Juniper scale, but the crawler period is two weeks later than Juniper scale.

Control: Horticultural oil applied at a 2- 4% rate can be applied in March. Apply Distance and 1% oil when crawlers emerge.


Information from "Scales Commonly Encountered in Maryland Landscapes and Nurseries" by Stanton Gill, Extension Specialist in IPM for Nurseries and Greenhouses,and Suzanne Klick and Shannon Wadkins, Technicians, Central Maryland Research and Education Center University of Maryland Cooperative Extension.