Growth, Development and Life Cycle of Icerya pattersoni (Newstead) (Homoptera: Margarodidae), a Coffee Pest in Kenya

Abstract

Experiments carried out in a coffee plantation to determine the developmental period of Icerya paltersoni (Newst.) showed that the female and male scales lasted 157 and 129 days on average, respectively. The different stages of I. pattersoni females were found to be recognizable by the number of antennal segments. The antenna of the stage I nymphal instar is six segmented, stage II is nine segmented and stage III is eleven segmented. The antenna of adult males is eighteen segmented. Females are neotenic but the males possess a pair of grey wings and atrophied mouthparts. In the field the I. pattersoni pest population size is highest in the heavy rainfall months of April and May.