Studies on the Reproduction of White Wax Scales in Areas of Low Elevation

From 1985 to 1987, white wax broodscales were successfully introduced to Yanqian district with an elevation of 185 meters in Sanming City, Fujian Province, from Yongshang County with an elevation of 1350 meters and Zhaotong City of 1950 meters in Yunnan Province. These insects grow well in the new habitat with a generation a year. The average length, width and height of the broodscale are 9.58mm, 8.4mm, and 8.08mm respectively and the average, maximum and minimum of egg numbers produced by the broodscale is 5718, 12789 and 1647 eggs respectively; the average ratio of female and male is 1 to 3.04, the maximum 1 to 3.08, the minimum 1 to 2.34; the averaga thickness of wax encrustation is 5.61mm, the maximum 7.74, the minimum 3.74mm. The melting point of the wax is 82℃ to 83℃. From the above results, it appears that in the low elevation areas, white wax scales, whose biological and the other indexes can be comparable to those in the original place, not only can reproduce successfully, but also can produce superior white wax with an encrustation thickness no less than that in the original district, and the melting point reaching the national standard of China. The success of our experiment has solved the problem that white wax scales can not reproduce in the areas under elevations of 200 meters, and laid a scientific basis for the extension of white wax production in low elevation areas.