Coccidae

Definition

A family of scale insects (order Hemiptera, superfamily Coccoidea) commonly known as soft scales, wax scales, or tortoise scales. Adult females are typically sessile, dorsoventrally flattened, and possess a smooth integument often coated with protective wax; legs and antennae are reduced or absent in many genera. Males are usually winged and short-lived. Coccidae feed on plant vascular fluids and are significant agricultural pests and honeydew producers.

Etymology

From Latin Coccus (type genus) + -idae (family suffix); Coccus from Ancient Greek κόκκος (kókkos, "kernel" or "Kermes", referring to the red dye insect Kermes vermilio).

Example

Coccus hesperidum (brown soft scale) and Ceroplastes rubens (red wax scale) are economically important Coccidae that infest citrus and ornamentals, excreting honeydew that promotes sooty mold growth.

Synonyms

• Soft scales
• Wax scales
• tortoise scales

Related Terms

• Coccoidea
• Sternorrhyncha
• scale insect
• Diaspididae
• Pseudococcidae
• honeydew
• Sessile
• wax secretion

Usage Notes

Distinguished from armored scales (Diaspididae) by the absence of a separable protective test and from mealybugs (Pseudococcidae) by body form and wax structure. The common name "soft scale" refers to the flexible, unarmored integument of the female. Taxonomic boundaries within Coccoidea remain under revision; some subfamilies (e.g., Ceroplastinae) are sometimes treated as distinct families.