# Soft scales (*Coccidae*)

Soft scales are tiny insects that often live on plants. They have a soft, waxy covering that helps protect them from predators and the weather.

- **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Urban areas

![Soft scales](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Coccus_viridis.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Jeffrey W. Lotz, CC BY 3.0 us · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coccus_viridis.jpg)

## Appearance

The Soft scales has a soft, often flattened or dome-shaped body, typically without visible segments. They come in various colors like brown, green, or pink, and lack the separate, hard protective shell found on 'hard scales'.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- A special type of ant sometimes 'farms' soft scales for their sweet honeydew snack.
- Female soft scales can lay hundreds of eggs, ensuring many babies are born!
- Some soft scales are so still they look like bumps on a plant, not insects!
- They often live in huge groups, making the plant look like it has tiny, colorful jewels.

## Special abilities

- **Honeydew Helper:** Soft scales can excrete sugary honeydew that attracts other insects, which helps them form mutualistic relationships.
- **Waxy Cloak:** Soft scales has a protective waxy layer that helps them resist pesticides and dehydration.
- **Self-Start Species:** Soft scales can reproduce without a mate through parthenogenesis, which helps them colonize new plants quickly.
- **Plant Mimic:** Soft scales often have colors and shapes that blend in with plants, which helps them hide from predators.

## Measurements & details

- **Size:** 1-10 mm
- **Lifespan:** 30-365 days
- **Leg Count:** 6
- **Colony Size:** 1000

## Diet & Feeding

They are tiny plant sap-suckers, feeding on the sweet juices inside plants.

- **Primary Foods:** Plant sap, Phloem, Xylem, Fruit trees, Shrubs, Houseplants

## Ecological connections

- **Symbiotic with:** [Black Garden Ant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-garden-ant) (*Lasius niger*) — Ants protect soft scales for their sweet honeydew.
- **Hunts:** Seven-spotted Ladybug (*Coccinella septempunctata*) — Ladybug larvae and adults feed on soft scales.
- **Parasitizes:** Brown Soft Scale Parasitoid (*Metaphycus helvolus*) — Tiny wasps lay eggs inside scales, controlling populations.

## Traits

- [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.
- [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.
- [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind.
- [Parasitic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/parasitic): This trait describes organisms that live on or in a host organism, obtaining nutrients at the host's expense.
- [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Don't touch bugs without asking an adult first, as some can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Soft scales?

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 Soft scales?

1-10 mm

### How long does Soft scales live?

30-365 days

### What does Soft scales eat?

They are tiny plant sap-suckers, feeding on the sweet juices inside plants.

### Where is Soft scales usually found?

Urban areas

### How many legs does Soft scales have?

6

### How large are Soft scales colonies?

1000

## 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*)

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Source: [Soft scales: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/soft-scales)