7,675 observationsNNA
Cottony cushion scale
Icerya purchasi
Taxonomy
Kingdom: Animalia βΊPhylum: Arthropoda βΊClass: Insecta βΊOrder: Hemiptera βΊFamily: Monophlebidae βΊGenus: Icerya
About
Icerya purchasi (common name: cottony cushion scale) is a scale insect that feeds on more than 50 families of woody plants, most notably on Citrus and Pittosporum. Originally described in 1879 from specimens collected in New Zealand as pests of kangaroo acacia, it is now found worldwide where citrus crops are grown. The cottony cushion scale originates from Australia.