Takahashia japonica
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
Takahashia japonica - the string cottony scale - is an insect pest of ornamental- and economic trees in the Coccidae family. It is a pest of quarantine significance in the EPPO area. Takahashia japonica is a highly adaptable pest that attacks a large number of deciduous trees.
Known host plants include trees of the genera Acer, Albizia, Alnus, Celtis, Citrus, Cornus, Cydonia, Diospyros, Juglans, Magnolia, Morus, Parthenocissus, Prunus, Pyrus, Robinia, Sophora and Salix. Adult females are light brown in colour, reaching up to 7 mm in length and 4 mm in width. They produce tubular ring-shaped white waxy oothecae up to 5 cm long. The cottony sacs remain attached to branches even after hatching.
In Croatia, where it is an invasive species, it produces one generation per year. Egg hatching occurs during June. The nymphs then move to the underside of leaves. At the end of summer they return to the host and pupate. Nymphs are dispersed by wind and over longer distances probably through infected plants.
The species is not harmful to humans, but causes significant leaf loss on infested plants. First detected in Italy, in Cerro Maggiore, in 2017 on Morus nigra... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a String Cottony Scale sighting in Milan on a given day, based on 268 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 351 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a String Cottony Scale in Milan on a given day, against about 10% in January to March, the lowest months.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate String Cottony Scale sightings, Milan has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Tokyo (Japan, under 5%).
Same order: Hemiptera
The closest relatives of the String Cottony Scale that you can see in Milan (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (about 20%), European Firebug (about 20%) and Southern Green Stink Bug (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the String Cottony Scale is recorded against all the insects logged in Milan (268 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
