General Description

Female body oval-shaped and red-brown with black legs. No wings. Sometimes covered with white secretion. Male has wings, but is rarely seen. Body up to 5 mm long.

Biology

Cottony Cushion Scales feed on a variety of plants including native, ornamental and fruit trees. They excrete honeydew, which attracts ants and leads to the growth of black-grey mould on the plants. They are preyed upon by ladybirds and flies. Females lay up to 1000 red eggs in a sac.

Distribution

South-eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania.

Habitat

On wattle trees.

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