Japanese Maple Scale

A Technical Report from The Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories

Japanese maple scale (JMS), Lopholeucaspis japonica, is an introduced pest on landscape ornamental trees and shrubs. It was first detected in Connecticut in 1914, but has been confirmed throughout the eastern United States [1]. JMS, an armored scale, secretes a hard covering over its body called a "test." The test protects the insect as it pierces through bark to feed on plant cells.