Cottony Camellia Scale

pulvinaria camelicola

The Cottony Camellia Scale is a tiny bug that covers itself in a fluffy, white cotton-like substance. These little insects love to munch on the leaves of camellia plants!

Hábitat: Gardens, parks, and areas with camellia plants

Aspecto

The Cottony Camellia Scale is a small insect with a flat, oval, reddish-brown body. It is often hidden beneath a prominent, fluffy white, cottony egg sac, making it visually distinct from typical insects.

ReinoAnimaliaFiloArthropodaClaseInsectaOrdenHemipteraFamiliaCoccidaeGéneroPulvinaria

Cottony Camellia Scale

Categoría

Insectos

Rareza

Common

Peligro

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Snaps

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Datos interesantes

A single female can lay hundreds of eggs, leading to incredibly quick infestations!

Baby scales, called crawlers, are the only mobile stage before they settle and feed!

Some ant species act as 'farmers,' protecting these scales for their sweet honeydew!

These scales are often mistaken for patches of cotton or fungal growth on plants!

Habilidades especiales

Cottony Camellia Scale can excrete sweet honeydew that helps them attract ants for protection against predators.

Cottony Camellia Scale has a unique ability to create a dense, white waxy ovisac to protect its eggs.

Cottony Camellia Scale has specialized piercing-sucking mouthparts that help them extract nutrient-rich sap from plants.

Medidas y detalles

Tamaño: 3-7 mm
Esperanza de vida: 60-90 días
Cantidad de patas: 6

Dieta y alimentación

These tiny plant pests drink sweet sap from many types of plants.

Alimentos principales

Camellia sap
Holly sap
Citrus sap
Rhododendron sap
Gardenia sap
Magnolia sap

Conexiones ecológicas

eats

Green Lacewing

Chrysoperla carnea

Lacewing larvae prey on scale insects.

depends on

Japanese Camellia

Camellia japonica

The scale feeds on sap from camellia plants.

parasitizes

Parasitic Wasp

Coccophagus insidiator

This tiny wasp lays eggs inside the scale.

symbiotic with

Yellow Crazy Ant

Anoplolepis gracilipes

Ants protect scales for their honeydew.

Rasgos

Social

Los animales sociales viven en grupos organizados, cooperando para obtener beneficios de supervivencia como la búsqueda de alimento, la defensa y la cría de descendencia.