Ilex-pest
Guides
Fiorinia theae
tea scale
Fiorinia theae, known as the tea scale, is an armored scale insect native to Asia that has become an established pest in the Americas. It is polyphagous on woody plants, with primary hosts including tea (Camellia sinensis), ornamental camellias, and hollies (Ilex species). Heavy infestations cause leaf yellowing, premature defoliation, branch dieback, and plant death. The species is multivoltine in warmer climates, with overlapping generations and year-round activity in southern regions.