type of insect that attaches itself to a plant and feeds on the leaves
The scale insects are small
insects of the order
Homoptera, generally classified as the
superfamily Coccoidea. There are about 8,000 species of scale insects. Most scale insects are
parasites of
plants, feeding on
sap drawn directly from the plant's vascular system. A few species feed on fungal mats and fungi, e.g., some species in the genus Newsteadia in the family Ortheziidae. Scale insects vary dramatically in their appearance from very small organisms (1-2
mm) that occur under wax covers (some look like oyster shells), to shiny pearl-like objects (about 5 mm), to creatures covered with mealy wax. Adult female scales are almost always immobile (aside from
mealybugs) and permanently attached to the plant they have parasitized. They secrete a
waxy coating for defense; this coating causes them to resemble
reptilian scales or fish scales, hence the name.
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