The majority of female scale insects remain in one place as adults, with newly hatched nymphs, known as "crawlers", being the only mobile life stage, apart from the short-lived males. The reproductive strategies of many species include at least some amount of asexual reproduction by parthenogenesis.

Many resemble miniature tortoise shells. Fifty to 2000 eggs or live young, depending on the species, are produced in or beneath the female’s body. The eggs hatch in 1 to 3 weeks. The pale, newly hatched nymphs are the mobile crawler stage but after finding a suitable part of the plant they settle down for the remainder of their lives.

Jul 24, 2021 · Adult females and immature nymphs of most species appear rounded and wingless, and lack distinct body parts. Dense populations create the appearance of reptilian scales on infested plants, hence the common name. Adult males typically differ in shape, size, and color to their female counterparts.

Oct 13, 2023 · After hatching from the eggs, the scale insects enter the nymph stage, which is also called the crawler stage. In this stage, they move around actively to find a suitable feeding site. Here’s what you should know about nymphs: Nymphs are tiny, flat, and oval-shaped. They can be different colors, like their eggs.

2 days ago · Scale insects are a diverse group of insects in the order HOMOPTERA. There are about 6,000 species of scale in sects in 21 families worldwide. About 1,000 species occur in North America. The three most common families of scale insects are the armored scale, the soft scale, and the mealybugs.

Scale insects are sap-feeding insects named for the scale or shell-like waxy covering that conceals their bodies. In Iowa, most species of shade trees, fruit trees, and ornamental shrubs are subject to scale insect attacks.

Diaspidiotus juglansregiae, commonly known as the walnut scale, is a species of armoured scale insect in the family Diaspididae. [1] It is native to North America where it feeds on a wide range of ornamental and forest trees and bushes.

There are two instars (growth stages) of nymphs. Lecanium scale eggs laid under the shell of the female scale. Lecanium scale crawlers on the foliage of the tree before they migrate back to the stem. The crawler stage of scale insects is the primary method of dispersal.

Jun 19, 2023 · Magnolia scale overwinters as nymphs on one- or two-year-old twigs. Nymphs mature in late July through early August. Males emerge about the same time as small fly-like insects which mate with females and then die.

Nymph (crawler): The mobile stage that moves to new feeding sites. Second-stage nymph: Begins developing the hard scale covering. Adult: Females usually remain sessile while males become winged to locate females.