Scale Insects
Scale insects (superfamily Coccoidea) are different from most insects in several ways. Females do not have wings and the head is not distinct from the rest of the body. Most of her life is spent at one spot feeding from plants through a long, thin tube she inserts into plant tissue. As she develops, she secretes a protective waxy or fuzzy covering. Male scale insects are very small, have one pair of delicate wings, live only a few days, and do not feed.
There are over 6,000 species of scale insects in the world. Each species feeds on one or a few species of trees or herbaceous plants. Sometimes scales become very numerous on their host and severely weaken or kill the host. Therefore, many scale insect species are important pests in agriculture, horticulture, and forestry.
Left: Tulip Tree Scale, Middle: Hemlock Scale, Right: Pine Needle Scale
