Dogwood Borer vs Pink Wax Scale Whitefly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Dogwood Borer Pink Wax Scale Whitefly
Scientific Name Synanthedon scitula Aleurocanthus woglumi
Order Lepidoptera Hemiptera
Family Sesiidae Aleyrodidae
Size 18–23 mm wingspan 1-1.5 mm
Habitat Orchards Orchards
Diet Root Feeders Herbivores
Regions Eastern North America Asia (native), Americas, Africa (invasive)
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Dogwood Borer

A clearwing moth whose larvae bore beneath the bark of dogwood, apple, and other trees. It is a significant pest of apple orchards on dwarfing rootstocks.

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Did You Know?

It preferentially attacks the swollen graft unions on dwarf apple trees, which can kill productive orchard trees.

Pink Wax Scale Whitefly

Known as the citrus blackfly, this whitefly has dark sooty-colored pupae that distinguish it from other whitefly species. Heavy infestations coat leaves in thick black sooty mold.

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Did You Know?

It was successfully controlled in many countries using the parasitoid wasp Amitus hesperidum, one of the classic triumphs of biological pest control.