scale insect

American  

noun

1. any of numerous small, plant-sucking homopterous insects of the superfamily Coccoidea, the males of which are winged and the females wingless, often covered by a waxy secretion resembling scales.

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scale insect British  

noun

1. any small homopterous insect of the family Coccidae and related families, which typically live and feed on plants and secrete a protective scale around themselves. Many species, such as the San Jose scale, are important pests

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scale insect Scientific  

1. Any of various small homopterous insects of the superfamily Coccoidea that suck the juices of plants, the females of which secrete and remain under waxy scales on plant tissue.

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Etymology

Origin of scale insect

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Adult scale insects form a grayish to dark brown protective covering called a test that resembles an oyster or mussel shell.

From Seattle Times

Some are useful for controlling scale insects, which can be crop pests, he added.

From Science Daily

Cotton mealybugs are scale insects that feed on fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants, but true to its name, it really likes to suck the sap of cotton plants.

From Salon

It’s based on the secretions of aphids and scale insects — which, as the authors tell us, “is actually not as disgusting as it first sounds.”

From Washington Post

For example, ladybugs and lacewings feed on aphids, scale insects and mites.

From Seattle Times