Liotta, G., & Sammartano, B. 1982 [Pollinia pollini (Costa): a serious phytosanitary problem for olive-growing in Sicily (Hom. Asterolecaniidae).] Pollinia pollini (Costa): un serio problema fitosanitario per l'olivicoltura siciliana (Hom. Asterolecaniidae).. Informatore Fitopatologia 31(1980-1/2): 65-66 .
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Notes: Notes are given on the biology of Pollinia pollini (Costa), an asterolecaniid that has spread over Sicily in the past 10 years and is becoming an increasingly serious pest of olive, especially of olives grown for oil. It had 1 generation a year. Oviposition began at the end of March or beginning of April, and 90% of the females had begun to oviposit by May, while the remaining 10% began in June-August. The oviposition period averaged 2 months, but some females oviposited for up to 109 days. The females laid an average of 80 eggs each. The eggs hatched within 1 h of being laid, and the crawlers wandered for 1.5 days, the female nymphs eventually settling on the growing shoots, in the feeding holes made by Phloeotribus scarabaeoides (Bern.), in wounds and other rough places in the branches, in leaf axils, or at junction points of 2 twigs. The male nymphs settled on the upper leaf surface, on smooth places on the branches, on shoot tips or on fruit peduncles. Damage consisted of shoot withering and leaf malformation. The predators Chilocorus bipustulatus (L.) and Exochomus quadripustulatus (L.) were present but did not exert effective control.
