Scale Insect

Natural Habitat

Typically found attached to the stems, leaves, or fruits of host plants, including indoor houseplants and outdoor trees.

Diet & Feeding

They use piercing-sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap (phloem) of various plants.

Behavior Patterns

The adult females are generally sedentary and protected by a waxy, shell-like covering. They produce honeydew, a sticky substance that can lead to sooty mold growth.

Risks & Benefits

They are significant agricultural and horticultural pests that can weaken or kill plants. They offer little benefit to the ecosystem other than being a minor food source for some predatory insects like lady beetles.

Identified on: 1/11/2026