# 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!

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger
- **Habitat:** Gardens, parks, and areas with camellia plants
- **Also known as:** Camellia Scale, Cottony Scale, Pulvinaria

![Cottony Camellia Scale](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pulvinaria_floccifera_24687234.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Jesse Rorabaugh, CC0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pulvinaria_floccifera_24687234.jpg)

## Appearance

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.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Hemiptera
- **Family:** Coccidae
- **Genus:** Pulvinaria

## Interesting facts

- 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!

## Special abilities

- **Honeydew Producer:** Cottony Camellia Scale can excrete sweet honeydew that helps them attract ants for protection against predators.
- **Cottony Cocoon:** Cottony Camellia Scale has a unique ability to create a dense, white waxy ovisac to protect its eggs.
- **Sap Siphon:** Cottony Camellia Scale has specialized piercing-sucking mouthparts that help them extract nutrient-rich sap from plants.

## Measurements & details

- **Size:** 3-7 mm
- **Lifespan:** 60-90 days
- **Leg Count:** 6

## Diet & Feeding

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

- **Primary Foods:** Camellia sap, Holly sap, Citrus sap, Rhododendron sap, Gardenia sap, Magnolia sap

## Ecological connections

- **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.

## Traits

- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

## Collections

- [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects)
- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 0/5 · No known danger

No special safety notes yet.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Cottony Camellia Scale?

Look for six legs, antennae, three body sections and the shape of the wings. Beetles have hardened front wings; flies have just one working pair. Tiny insects may need a close view before their group is clear. Insect Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How big is Cottony Camellia Scale?

3-7 mm

### How long does Cottony Camellia Scale live?

60-90 days

### What does Cottony Camellia Scale eat?

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

### Where is Cottony Camellia Scale usually found?

Gardens, parks, and areas with camellia plants

### How many legs does Cottony Camellia Scale have?

6

## Where to spot

- [John Jay Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/john-jay-park) — New York, US · Park

## More Insects

- [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*)
- [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*)
- [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*)
- [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*)

---

Source: [Cottony Camellia Scale: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cottony-camellia-scale)