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Scale insect (Coccidae) (36)
mariki

(6903)

Does anyone know what it is? It is on a bark, size around 8mm. I could find these things on many species of trees.
I have no idea at all.

No points for that, just would like to know what it is.

On another tree, with other lighting in the WS

Update:

The life cycle of scale insects vary among species. The following descriptions provide a generalized background of scale insect biology.

Scale insects are known to have diversity of reproductive systems including hermaphroditism (bisexuality) and parthenogenesis (Ben-Dov et al. 2001). Adults females lay eggs or give birth to live young(first instar). Eggs are either laid in a cavity under the female body or in a waxy cover attached to the body (the white cotton-like part in my picture?). The scales that are newly born or hatched are known as crawlers. In this stage it moves about in search of succulent new growth to feed upon.

Female undergoes simple metamorphosis with three to four total instars and does not have a pupa-like instar, whereas male undergoes complete metamorphosis with 5 instars including two pupa-like instars. During the pupa-like instars male has only rudimentary mouthparts and does not feed (Ben-Dov et al. 2001). The adult female scales, however, feed continuously and remain fixed in one location or have very limited movement.

Description

Adult: Adult females of armored and soft scales are sessile, legless, wingless, and do not have a clear head and body region. The body form and shape varies from being circular, oval, hemispherical, oblong, thread-like to being pear-shaped. The most characteristic feature of the sale insects is that they secrete copious amounts of wax-like secretaion. In the armored scales, the waxy secretion together with their cast skin forms a hard and protective coting. In the soft scales, however, there is no true armor but their body is still hardened by a waxy secretion.

Male scales are more insect-like in appearance with a distinct head, thorax, and abdomen region and wings. The adult male lives for a day or less and never feeds (Ben-Dov et al. 2001).

Egg: Eggs are laid underneath the waxy covering and remain there for one to three weeks before they hatch. If an adult female is turned over, it is possible to see the egg mass.

(source: edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in649)

They present also pictures of different forms.

Thanks to Bayram for his help in identifying this insect. No time for the moment, I will update this note later.

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