scale insect

noun

: any of numerous small prolific homopterous insects (superfamily Coccoidea) that have winged males, wingless scale-covered females attached to the host plant, and young that suck the juices of plants and some of which are serious pests

Examples of scale insect in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Pests Mealy bugs, spider mites, and scale insects are common pests of lemon trees. —Nashia Baker, Martha Stewart, 31 Mar. 2026

Mealybugs look like cottony white masses, scale insects appear as brown bumps on the leaves, and spider mites leave sticky webbing behind. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2026

This disease is a result of an interaction between a scale insect and one of two Nectria fungal pathogens. —Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 25 Jan. 2026

This type of scale insect doesn’t usually kill the host plant, though prolonged heavy infestations may weaken it, reduce flowering, or cause individual branches to die back. —Miri Talabac, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for scale insect

• aftereffect
• interconnect
• affect
• aspect
• bedecked
• bisect
• collect
• connect
• correct
• deflect
• detect
• direct

Kids Definition

scale insect

noun

: any of numerous small insects related to aphids and including many destructive plant pests in which the males have wings, the females are scale-covered and are often permanently attached to a host plant, and the young suck the juices of plants