Soft Scales

(Coccidae or Lecaniidae), a family of insects of the order Coccidia. Length, 3–7 mm. The adult female remains immobile on her eggs on a forage plant in order to protect them. The anterior pair of wings in the males is normally developed. Soft scales are widely distributed throughout the world but are most numerous in the tropics. There are more than 100 species in the USSR. Many (the wax scale, brown scale, and globose scale, for example) injure citrus trees, fruit trees, and ornamental and house plants.