#scale insects

An Iceryine Scale Insect (Icerya sp.) in Nanping Zhen, Yunnan, China

Look, even scale insect boys, who live like 22 minutes 10 seconds tops, understand consent. The lad did not try anything with females who were just roaming the tree bark; he had fluttery ass-antennae only for females who wanted it. Respect.

Giant Scale Insect

I got a bit of a shock when I saw this thing.

At first I thought it might've been the larva of those big leaf beetles I found. Was very surprised to discover it was a scale insect.

Unidentified, genus Monophlebulus

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glorpiness rating: glubby

The Arizona Ash (Fraxinus velutina) is a beloved staple in desert landscaping. Known for its fast growth and lush canopy, this deciduous tree provides ample shade in arid environments like Arizona, where relief from the intense sun is a top priority. Reaching heights of 30 to 50 feet with a spread of 40 to 60 feet, the Arizona Ash is a powerhouse when it comes to creating a cooling oasis in urban…

I discovered these interesting scale insects on my prickly pear cactus (opuntia).

It turns out these are cochineal insects (Dactylopius coccus), the source of the natural dye carmine. You can see some of this pigment in the third picture (purple splotch) where the bugs may have been injured. Carmine, aka crimson lake, is frequently found in cosmetics (blush and lipstick) and food (ice cream, yogurt, soft drinks, sausage, and candy). Farming these bugs began as early as 700 BC in South America, and carmine has been used by many indigenous cultures to dye textiles and create artwork.

While mature females are about 25% carminic acid, it still takes tens of thousands of them to produce one pound of pigment.