Striped Pine Scale
Toumeyella pini
This record describes Toumeyella pini (species). Recorded family: Coccidae. Recorded order: Hemiptera.
Identification and Appearance
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
- Suborder
- Sternorrhyncha
- Superfamily
- Coccoidea
- Family
- Coccidae (Soft Scale Insects)
- Genus
- Toumeyella
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Several species of pine, particularly Scots pine and lodgepole pine
Life History
One generation per year. Spend the winter as fertilized female. Eggs hatch under the covering mother scale in May or June and crawlers continue to emerge for a month or so. Winged male stages are produced at the end of summer and mating takes place then.
About True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hemiptera, the group containing Toumeyella pini. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hemiptera (true bugs) includes over 80,000 described species across cicadas, aphids, leafhoppers, shield bugs, and bed bugs. Aphids alone cost global agriculture an estimated $2.5 billion annually in crop losses.
Ecological role of the group
Many Hemiptera are essential food sources for birds and predatory insects. Cicadas provide massive nutrient pulses during emergence events - a single Brood X emergence can involve trillions of individuals across 15 states.
Economic and practical significance of the group
The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) caused $37 million in apple crop losses in a single year in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region. Bed bug infestations in the U.S. increased by 500% between 2001-2010, costing the hotel industry hundreds of millions annually.
Recorded sources for this group: USDA, EPA, University research. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Striped Pine Scale (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Eric R. Eaton; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset