Bird Nest Scale / Beech Scale

Found on the bark of beech trees (Fagus sylvatica and Fagus grandifolia) in forests and parks.

Plant sap; they use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on the parenchyma of the host tree's bark.

They are largely immobile as adults, living under a protective white, woolly waxy secretion. They reproduce parenthogenetically, with eggs hatching into mobile 'crawlers' that disperse by wind or animal contact.

Risk: Feeding damage creates entry points for Nectria fungi, leading to Beech Bark Disease which can kill the host tree. Benefit: They serve as a food source for some lady beetles and other predatory insects.