Purple scale
- Pronunciation
- /PUR-puhl SKAYL/
- Category
- Taxonomy
- Singular
- purple scale
- Plural
- purple scales
Definition
A for Lepidosaphes beckii (: ), a diaspidid insect and economically important pest of citrus and related Rutaceae. The female secretes a distinctive elongated, comma-shaped or mussel-like test (covering) that appears purple-brown to dark gray, under which she feeds on phloem sap, causing leaf yellowing, fruit blemishing, twig dieback, and reduced tree vigor. Heavy can lead to defoliation and secondary . The is parthenogenetic in many and has a distribution in tropical and subtropical citrus-growing regions.
Etymology
From the purple-brown coloration of the female's protective test; also called mussel for its resemblance to a small bivalve shell.
Example
Purple on grapefruit are often concentrated on the fruit surface and upper leaf surfaces, where the dark comma-shaped tests are visible to the naked and can downgrade fruit for fresh market.
Synonyms
- mussel scale
- citrus mussel scale
- orange scale
- comma scale
- mussel purple scale
- Lepidosaphes beckii
Related Terms
- Diaspididae
- scale insect
- test
- armored scale
- citrus pest
- phloem feeder
- Parthenogenesis
- Integrated Pest Management
- Horticultural oil
Usage Notes
The 'purple ' is applied specifically to Lepidosaphes beckii and should not be confused with other pigmented scale insects such as the red scale (). In field diagnostics, the comma-shaped test distinguishes purple scale from the circular tests of most other diaspidids. The name 'mussel scale' is preferred in some regions and agricultural extension literature. When used as a mass noun ('purple scale damage'), the term refers to the pest condition rather than individual insects.