Sap Feeders
United States National Collection of Scale Insects Photographs,
USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org
Hemispherical scale is a small scale, between 1/16 inch and 1/8 inch wide, that infests ferns, bamboo, and several other plants. They are brown and globular; they resemble a helmet when looked at in profile. Their feeding can cause plant stunting and they generate honeydew that accumulates on the plant as well. As an indoor pest, there can be multiple generations per year and development is dependent upon the surrounding temperature.
David Cappaert, Bugwood.org
Twospotted spider mites are tiny (1/50 inch) arthropods with a dark spot on each side of the oval, light green to yellow body. They live on the underside of leaves and use needle-like mouthparts to remove the contents of individual cells. This produces tiny white to yellow spots on leaves, sometimes called flecking or bronzing. These mites produce fine silk-like webbing that often covers infested plants. Infestations are usually most serious during hot, dry periods.
Sturgis McKeever, Georgia Southern University, Bugwood.org
Cottony cushion scale is an invasive scale species that can be found feeding on the sap of numerous species of plants. Adult females are orange-brown but coated with white wax and will have a long, fluted egg sac attached to the body. This can contain up to 1,000 eggs. After hatching, the nymphs (which are red with dark antennae and legs) will seek a suitable space for feeding. Nymphal feeding on leaves can cause extensive damage and honeydew/black sooty mold will accumulate as the population builds.