San Jose scale

American  

[san hoh-zey skeyl] / ˈsæn hoʊˌzeɪ ˈskeɪl /

noun

1. a scale insect, Aspidiotus perniciosus, that is highly destructive to fruit trees and shrubs throughout the U.S.

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San Jose scale British  

noun

1. a small E Asian homopterous insect, Quadraspidiotus perniciosus, introduced into the US and other countries, where it has become a serious pest of fruit trees: family Diaspididae

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Etymology

Origin of San Jose scale

1885–90, named after San Jose, California, where first found

Example Sentences

In the 1890s many smaller growers struggled to afford expensive and elaborate controls to combat pests such as San Jose scale and plum curculio.

From Salon • Jun. 8, 2023

Maple and oak, the other most abundant street trees, are also at risk from pests such as San Jose scale and Japanese beetles.

From Washington Post • Mar. 20, 2022

Roses first came to Tyler in the 1920s, prompted by an agricultural disaster: A decade earlier, quadraspidiotus perniciosus — better known as the San Jose scale — decimated the city’s peach crop.

From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2021

Melander himself had run into difficulty with the San Jose scale, for some years satisfactorily controlled by spraying with lime sulfur.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

The San Jose scale is one of the most dreaded enemies of fruit trees.

From Agriculture for Beginners Revised Edition by Burkett, Charles William