Yucca Plant Bug vs Cottony Cushion Scale
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Yucca Plant Bug | Cottony Cushion Scale |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Halticotoma valida | Icerya purchasi |
| Order | Hemiptera | Hemiptera |
| Family | Miridae | Monophlebidae |
| Size | 3-5 mm | 5-8 mm including egg sac |
| Habitat | Deserts & Drylands | Orchards |
| Diet | Herbivores | Wood Feeders |
| Regions | North America | Originally Australia, now cosmopolitan |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Yucca Plant Bug
A dark metallic blue plant bug that feeds on yucca plants in the arid Southwest. Heavy infestations can cause yellowing and dieback of yucca leaves.
Did You Know?
It is one of the few insects specialized to feed on the tough, waxy leaves of yucca plants.
Cottony Cushion Scale
A scale insect with a distinctive white fluted egg sac that devastated California's citrus industry in the 1880s. Its control by vedalia beetles was the first major success of biological pest control.
Did You Know?
The introduction of vedalia ladybirds to control it in 1889 saved the California citrus industry from collapse.