Icerya purchasi , order Homoptera) that is a pest especially of California {{link=citrus">citrus trees.
The adult lays bright red eggs in a distinctive large white mass that juts out from a twig. Distributed worldwide, cottony-cushion scale is found on many other plants, including acacia, pittosporum, and willow. Australian ladybird beetles (see ladybug ), a natural enemy, have been imported to keep it from destroying the California citrus industry.
Cottony-cushion scales ( Icerya purchasi , magnified)
Robert C. Hermes
The National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers