San Jose Scale vs Japanese Beetle Tachinid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute San Jose Scale Japanese Beetle Tachinid
Scientific Name Diaspidiotus perniciosus Istocheta aldrichi
Order Hemiptera Diptera
Family Diaspididae Tachinidae
Size 1-2 mm diameter 5-7 mm
Habitat Orchards Orchards
Diet Fruit Feeders Parasites
Regions Worldwide temperate regions North America, Asia
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

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.

Japanese Beetle Tachinid

A parasitic fly introduced from Japan to North America specifically for Japanese beetle control. Females lay eggs on the beetle's thorax.

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Did You Know?

White eggs visible on a Japanese beetle's thorax are a telltale sign of parasitism by this fly.