Macadamia Felted Coccid, Eriococcus ironsidei: Biology and Life Cycle in Hawaii

The life cycle and general biology of Eriococcus ironsidei were ob- served in the field and under laboratory conditions. We provide data on duration of developmental stages, fecundity, and longevity of the insects. The female can be found in high numbers on branches of macadamia nut tress while the males mostly colonize the leaves. The average duration of time to complete metamorphosis varied between the sexes. Females took 32 days and males 16 days after hatching from eggs to reach the adult stage. Females produced up to 97 eggs (mean of 36.7) and were capable of producing eggs for over 50 days under laboratory conditions