SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF WAX DISTRIBUTION ON THE BALSAM WOOLLY APHID, ADELGES PICEAE (HOMOPTERA: ADELGIDAE)

Abstract

AbstractScanning electron micrographs of balsam wooly aphid, Adelges piceae Ratz., show ribbon-like wax secretion in the dorso-median, marginal, and inter-tergal regions. Longitudinal grooves in the ribbons indicate that secretions from a row of cells fuse together to form bands of wax. Most of the ribbons appear as extensions of the tergal sclerites. Post-notal plates are conspicuous in the dormant first instar, and in the adults characteristic wax plates with crater-like pits are evident. The chemistry of wax in related species and a rationale for control using juvenile hormone analogs are discussed.