Armored-scales
Guides
Diaspididae
Armored Scale Insects, Armored Scales, Hard Scales
Diaspididae is the largest family of scale insects, comprising over 2,650 described species in approximately 400 genera. Members are commonly known as armored scale insects due to their distinctive protective covering, which incorporates exuviae from the first two nymphal instars, sometimes with fecal matter and host plant fragments. The female remains permanently beneath this armor, feeding on host plant tissues through piercing-sucking mouthparts. The family includes numerous economically significant pests such as the California red scale (Aonidiella aurantii), San Jose scale (Diaspidiotus perniciosus), and gloomy scale (Melanaspis tenebricosa), which damage crops, ornamentals, and forest trees worldwide.