San Jose Scale vs Cypris Morpho

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute San Jose Scale Cypris Morpho
Scientific Name Diaspidiotus perniciosus Morpho cypris
Order Hemiptera Lepidoptera
Family Diaspididae Nymphalidae
Size 1-2 mm diameter 110-140 mm wingspan
Habitat Orchards Forests
Diet Fruit Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Worldwide temperate regions South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Panama)
Conservation Not Evaluated Near Threatened

San Jose Scale

A tiny armored scale insect that forms gray encrustations on the bark and fruit of apple, pear, and stone fruit trees. It was one of the first pests to prompt quarantine legislation.

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Did You Know?

Its discovery in San Jose, California in 1880 led to the first plant quarantine law in the United States.

Cypris Morpho

A striking white and blue Morpho butterfly found in Central and northern South American cloud forests. It has broad white bands across its blue wings, giving it a distinctive appearance among Morpho species. It typically flies at canopy height and is rarely encountered at ground level.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most Morpho species, M. cypris has a slow, floating flight pattern and rarely descends below the canopy.