Family Name:	Characteristics:
Aclerdidae Common	Specimen Shown: Aclerda sp. Common name: Flat grass scales or aclerdids Diagnostic Characters: Margin of posterior abdomen crenulate; single anal plate; ventral groove beneath anal complex; anal tube apodemes present. Additional characters that are not unique to flat grass scales or are present in most but not all aclerdids are as follows. Legs absent or represented by small sclerotized areas; antennae 1-segmented; spiracles with pores in atrium; body margin with conical setae; anal cleft present but short. Field Characters: Body flattened, generally reddish-brown or pink, with apex of abdomen heavily sclerotized and dark brown. Usually with small amount of white wax ventrally and on head. Occurring in leaf sheaths or in crown of plant near soil surface. Species of Rhodesaclerda and Kwazulaclerda produce abundant wax dorsally similar to species of wax scales in the genus Ceroplastes.
Asterolecaniidae Common	Specimen Shown: Asterolecanium arabidis Common name: Pit scales or asterolecaniids Diagnostic Characters: Typical asterolecanium-type pit scales are characterized by the presence of 8-shaped pores that are sessile and form a band around the body margin; tubular ducts with a small invagination and a much enlarged truncate filament; anal ring area simplified, rarely with 2 rows of pores; anal area often with lateral sclerotized bar and arch plate; and without legs. Field Characters: Pit scales are relatively diverse, but the typical pit scale (genera such as Asterodiaspis, Asterolecanium, Neoasterodiaspis, Planchonia, and Russellaspis) usually has the body of the insect set in a depression or pit in the host tissue and has a white fringe around the body margin. There generally is a swelling around the edge of the scale insect and a translucent often yellow or green test covers the exposed part of the body. Most species of Bambusaspis, Grammococcus, and Polea don't form pits but are similar in other ways. A few uncommon genera form complete galls of various sorts including Abditicoccus, Amorphococcus, Endernia, and Frenchia.
Beesoniidae Not Common	Spcimens Shown: Beesonia quercicola & Limacoccus brasiliensis Common name: Beesoniids Diagnostic Characters: No single character can be used to diagnose this family at least in the adult female. Characters in the adult male and first instar are more distinctive. Characters that occur in adult females of some species are: anal ring without pores and with very enlarged setae; clypeolabral shield with large anterolateral extensions; antennae reduced to 5 or fewer segments; occurring in exuviae of previous instar, this instar with spiracles located near abdomen apex. Field Characters: Most members of this family are from southern Asia and induce galls on dipterocarp hosts; a few species form galls on oaks or live in pits on the stems. One genus, Limacoccus feeds on palms, does not induce galls, and occurs in South America. Many of the galls induced by the Asian species look like leaf buds or fruit and are quite remarkable in their elegant appearance. Some are less spectacular forming small stem galls of pits. A few species are pupillarial, i.e., the adult female occurs inside the shed skin of the previous instar, but in others the adult females are found singly in the gall.
Callipappidae Not Common	Specimen Shown: Callipappus rubiginosus Common name: Bird of paradise flies or callipappines Diagnostic Characters: Eight pairs of abdominal spiracles; pair nearest anal opening conspicuously smaller that others; abdominal spiracles with pores in atrium; thoracic spiracles with pores in atrium; mouthparts atrophied; tarsus 1-segmented; anal tube simple; adult female abdomen invaginated forming posterior marsupium. Field Characters: Adult females unusually large in many species (up to 4 cm), usually brightly colored, often red or purple. Cyst stages occur in the soil, on stems or on the trunk in a papery or waxy cyst. Adult females have the apex of the abdomen invaginated to form a marsupium where the eggs hatch.
Carayonemidae Not Common	Specimen Shown: Foldicoccus monikae Common name: Carayonemids Diagnostic Characters: Abdominal and thoracic spiracles dorsal and projecting from derm; femur and trochanter fused; dorsal setae unusually ornate; enlarged seta at apex of antenna; protruding anal lobes. Field Characters: Unknown except that they occur in leaf litter and mossy areas; possibly in moist environments.
Cerococcidae Common	Specimen Shown: Cerococcus sp. Common name: Ornate pit scales or cerococcids Diagnostic Characters: Cribriform plates and 8-shaped pores present; spiracular furrows usually present, posterior furrow usually divided; single anal plate; antennae 1-segmented; legs absent or represented by unsegmented sclerotized spine; anal lobes usually protruding; labium 3-segmented. Field Characters: Adult females produce a waxy test that encloses the body. The test may be smooth, corrugated, stellate, checkered, or wool like. In most species it is cream to dark brown, but a few species produce tests that are orange, yellow, pink, red, or white. Tests are produced by adult females and second instar males. The male test is smaller and narrower than the adult female test. The tests of Asterococcus and Solenophora incorporate the shed skin of the first instar and probably have a test in the second-instar female as well as the second-instar male. Although some have suggested that this family induces pits, there is little evidence of this in the literature.
Coccidae Common	Specimen Shown: Ceroplastes floridensis Common name: Soft scales or coccids Diagnostic Characters: Posterior apex of body with conspicuous anal cleft; anal area with 2 anal plates; eversible anal ring set at end of anal tube; spiracular atrium connected to body margin by furrow containing wax pores; differentiated spiracular setae set at end of spiracular furrow; tarsus without campaniform sensilla near juncture of tibia and tarsus. Field Characters: The appearance of soft scales in the field is highly variable depending on the group. The body shape is frequently round or broadly oval but some are elongate, especially grass infesting species; they can be nearly flat or highly convex in lateral view. Wax coverings are thin and transparent, filamentous or powdery, thick and opaque, or even thin and glassy. Soft scales occur on nearly all parts of the host but are predominantly found on leaves and stems. Few species are subterranean. Some species produce ovisacs which generally are filamentous and white. Newly matured females can be any of a diverse array of colors from green to brown, mottled to checkered, white to nearly transparent. Old females are usually brown or black. Some species of Coccus are so clear that it is possible to watch the malphigian tubules move inside the body.
Coelostomidiidae Not Common	Specimen Shown: Coelostomidia pilosa Common name: Coelostomidiids Diagnostic Characters: Anal tube usually apical, with internal sclerotized ring and pores, rarely simple and without ring and pores; usually with 7 pairs of abdominal spiracles, rarely 6, posterior pair sometimes smaller than others; legs either fully developed or reduced and cone shaped; when cone shaped, with claw present; thoracic spiracles with bar, without pores in atrium, with cluster of pores outside of atrium; often with large sclerotized area surrounding anal opening or on head. Field Characters: Body usually globular, frequently occurring in thick test; white tube usually protruding from posterior apex of test; most instars with reduced cone-shaped legs, but Coelostomidia and Mimosicerya with fully developed legs.
Conchaspididae Common	Specimen Shown: Conchaspis angraeci Common name: False armored scales or conchaspidid Diagnostic Characters: Posterior abdominal segments coalesced into pygidium; legs present in all but 1 species; tibia and tarsus fused; antennae 3- to 5-segmented; ocellar spot on head; 2 genera with metathoracic sclerotizations near hind coxae. Field Characters: Body hidden under thick wax cover similar in structure to armored scale cover except exuviae not incorporated. Cover not attached to body, often volcano shaped with ridges radiating from scale apex; round or oval in outline. Some covers without conical top, but usually with ridges. Cover of most species white or dirty white. Body of female usually white.
Dactylopiidae Not Common	Specimen Shown: Dactylopius coccus Common name: Cochineal scales or dactylopiids Diagnostic Characters: Enlarged setae truncate apically; anal ring without pores and setae; translucent pores on hind legs; invaginated tubular ducts; clusters of quinquelocular pores surrounding orifice of some tubular ducts. Field Characters: Body of adult female grayish when undisturbed but bright red when crushed; covered by sticky, weblike strands of filamentous wax; occurring on the pads of cacti of the genera Nopalea and Opuntia usually in clumps in protected areas. Dactylopius coccus Costa does not produce filamentous wax.
Diaspididae Common	Specimens Shown: Aonidomytilus albus & Parlatoria pergandii Common name: Armored scales or diaspidids Diagnostic Characters: Posterior abdominal segment coalesced into wax-forming structure called pygidium; generally with lobes and plates or gland spines on pygidium; legs absent or represented by small sclerotized area; antennae represented by unsegmented knob; labium 1-segmented. Field Characters: Wax covering domicile-like, not attached to body; wax covering with exuviae of 1 or 2 immature instars incorporated and usually visible; cover formed of wax manipulated by pygidium, of solid consistency, not filamentous or powdery; often with ventral cover; body elongate or oval; body color white, yellow, purple, red, or orange; occurring on nearly any part of plant, rare on roots and rootlets; some species become buried under plant epidermis.
Eriococcidae Common	Specimen Shown: Eriococcus coccineus Common name: Felt scales or eriococcids Diagnostic Characters: Because of the great diversity and lack monophyly of this family there is no single character that can be used as diagnostic. Characters that often are present on felt scales include: microtubular ducts; strongly protruding anal lobes; enlarged setae; cruciform pores; translucent pores on hind legs. Field Characters: Felt scales are very diverse and comprise a number of apparently unrelated groups. The most commonly intercepted eriococcids at U. S. ports of entry are those of the Eriococcus type. They produce a white, gray, or yellowish ovisac that encloses the pyriform body of the adult female. Body color varies from pink or red to purple, green or brown. The posterior end of the sac has a small opening that allows the first instars to escape. Other eriococcids occur under the bark of the host, produce little or no ovisac secretion and often are pink or red. Many species produce galls including one of the most interesting genera Apiomorpha which induces very ornate structures on various species of Eucalyptus.
Halimococcidae Common	Specimen Shown: Colobopyga australiensis Common name: Palm scales or halimococcids Diagnostic Characters: Second instar female with anal operculum; tubular ducts divided longitudinally, 8-shaped; antennae 1 segmented; legs absent; without pygidial lobes or plates. Field Characters: Body normally pyriform, occasionally subcircular or elliptical with the posterior end constricted and protruding. In cross section the body is flattened ventrally and convex dorsally. The adult female, and third-instar female (if present) occur inside a hardened test formed by the adult female. Pieces of the second instar may be incorporated in the test. Most writers suggest that the adult female occurs inside the shed skin of the second instar, but according to Kohler (1987) this is not true. Females remain inside the second instar, produce a test, and the second instar skin ruptures and disintegrates. White wax is not common in most species, but filamentous strands are occasionally present laterally. Specimens usually occur on the leaves of the host and are generally dark brown or black.
Kermesidae Not Common	Specimen Shown: Allokermes kingi Common name: Gall-like scales or kermesids Diagnostic Characters:Margin of body with dense band of invaginated tubular ducts; anal lobes generally small and membranous (occasionally absent), without enlarged setae, sometimes sclerotized and plate like; anal ring usually without setae or pores; labium 3-segmented; antennae ill defined but present; legs present but poorly developed and without clear segmentation; body large and rotund. Field Characters: Body of fully mature adult female swells to form a rotund structure and looks like a gall. Newly formed adult females often are ornately colored with stripes, spots, or stippling, but as the body enlarges these patterns disappear. Some species produce wax over the body but the secretion disappears with age. No filamentous ovisac is produced, instead a brood chamber is formed under the body of the adult female.
Kerriidae Common	Specimen Shown: Tachardiella fulgens Common name: Lac scales or kerriids Diagnostic Characters: One pair of spiracles conspicuously larger than other; conspicuous brachial plate with many pores; dorsal spine present anterior of anal opening; anal area with associated anal fringe; legs absent; antennae poorly developed. Field Characters: Body convex and covered with a thick resinous secretion or a hard horny material; often with lobes or sculturing. The covering has 3 openings, 2 spiracular or brachial plate openings, and an anal opening; delicate waxy filaments originate from each opening; many species aggregate in large masses that encrust host branches and twigs.
Kuwaniidae Not Common	Specimen Shown: Kuwania quercus Common name: Kuwaniids Diagnostic Characters: Clubbed setae at distal end of tibia; tarsus curved; more than 1 campaniform sensilla on second antennal segment; basal segment of antenna largest; 4 to 7 pairs of abdominal spiracles; abdominal spiracles with pores in atrium; tarsus 1-segmented; 1 or more denticles on claw. Field Characters: Body elongate; cyst stage without legs, occurring in cracks on trunk or under bark; often brightly colored; adult females produce a white waxy ovisac that covers the body.
Lecanodiaspididae Common	Specimen Shown: Lecanodiaspis morrisoni Common name: False pit scales or lecanodiaspidids Diagnostic Characters: Cribriform plates and 8-shaped pores present; spiracular furrows usually present, posterior furrow usually divided; either with 2 lateral anal plates or plates fused into 1; antennae normally with multiple segments; legs absent or represented by unsegmented sclerotized area; without protruding anal lobes; small anal cleft; labium normally 1- or 2-segmented. Field Characters: Adult females produce a waxy test that encloses the body. The test usually is papery in texture, giving a corrugated appearance. The dorsal surface of the test often has 7 to 9 transverse ridges that roughly correspond to body segmentation and a dorsomedial ridge along the middle of the test. An anal opening occurs at the posterior end of the test that usually has an elevated rim surrounding it. Color varies from yellow to reddish brown. Tests are produced by adult females and second-instar males. A few false pit scales are known to induce some form of host deformation, usually a pit under the body of the insect.
Marchalinidae Not Common	Specimen Shown: Marchalina hellenica Common name: Giant pine coccids, giant pine scales, or marchalinids Diagnostic Characters: Anal tube sclerotized but without sclerotized ring or pores; 4 or 5 pores on each surface of trochanter oriented at 45 degree angle from proximal margin of trochanter; without cicatrices; 7 abdominal spiracles, without pores in atrium; antennae 10- or 11- segmented. Field Characters: Body large, up to 11 mm; usually yellow; legs large, dark; producing ventral, white ovisac; immature female forms similar in appearance to adult female; males known in 1 species, with winged and wingless forms; winged form with central tuft of filaments.
Margarodidae Common	Specimen Shown: Margarodes sp. Common name: Ground pearls or margarodids Diagnostic Characters:Body large; front legs greatly enlarged for digging , often with some leg segments fused; abdominal spiracles normally present, sometimes absent; thoracic spiracles usually with pores in atrium; anal opening generally not obvious; without cicatrices; usually without mouthparts; tarsus with more than 1 campaniform sensilla; forming a cyst. Field Characters: Body large, up to 5 mm or more, generally rotund, but some species elongate oval; legs (especially front pair) fossorial, enlarged and adapted for digging; occurring in soil or sand; feeding on roots of host; usually without wax secretion except some species produce a filamentous ovisac.
Matsucoccidae Common	Specimen Shown: Matsucoccus sp. Common name: Pine bast scales or matsucoccids Diagnostic Characters: Without distinct anal opening; tarsi 2-segmented; with cicatrices; antennae with reticulate pattern; basal antennal segment noticeably longer than other segments; with 9 antennal segments; coxa divided longitudinally; without campaniform sensilla on tarsus; with 2 capitate claw digitules. Field Characters: Body of adult female from 3 to 7 mm long; generally elongate oval; body color varies from red, green, to brown; large antennae protrude from head in a "V" shape; cyst stages occur under the bark, in needle fascicles, or on needle surfaces; usually found wandering on host or under bark; normally producing white filamentous ovisac from posterior end of body.
Micrococcidae Not Common	Specimen Shown: Micrococcus bodenheimeri Common name: Micrococcids Diagnostic Characters: Unique characters of the family include the presence of apparent anal lobes; discoidal pores with unusually thick margins; and the vulva which is located on abdominal segment 6. Other characters include spiracles with pores in the atrium; anal plates surrounding the anal opening; antennae 3-segmented; labium 1-segmented; legs usually with tibia and tarsus fused; invaginated tubular ducts. Field Characters: Adult females of Micrococcus species are pink or red and are broadly oval when mature. They generally feed on the roots of grasses and often are in Tapinoma ants nest. Males are wingless. Adult females of Molluscococcus fibrillae Hall are peculiar in that they appear like a bivalved mollusc. A deep depression is formed in the body of the female around the rootlet of the host grass.
Monophlebidae Common	Specimen Shown: Drosicha mangiferae Common name: Giant scales or monophlebids Diagnostic Characters: Anal tube well developed, with a simple sclerotized ring or band of pores at inner end; cicatrices present; abdominal spiracles present, usually conspicuous; thoracic spiracles without pores in atrium; legs large and conspicuous; antennae large, 7- to 11-segmented; claw digitules not reaching tip of claw, usually not enlarged apically; not forming a cyst. Field Characters: Body large, up to 10mm or more, generally elongate oval; legs and antennae usually conspicuous and dark; occurring on the stems, branches, or foliage of the plant; usually with wax covering the body, occasionally without wax; often forming an ovisac or with a marsupium.
Neosteingelia Family Group Not Common	Specimen Shown: Neosteingelia texana Common name: None Diagnostic Characters: Eight abdominal spiracles, posterior 2 pairs small, inconspicuous; abdominal spiracles with pores in atrium; coxae divided longitudinally; 1 campaniform sensilla on tarsus; tarsus distinctly curved; basal antennal segment longer than other antennal segments; reticulate pattern on apical antennal segments. Field Characters: For Neosteingelia the cyst stage occurs under the bark of the host; brownish red adult males and females appear on the bark in the fall; a white fialmentous ovisac is produced in cracks of the bark.
Ortheziidae Common	Specimen Shown: Orthezia insignis Common name: Ensign scales or ortheziids Diagnostic Characters: Anal ring on dermal surface, with pores and setae; apex of antenna with thick terminal seta; abdominal spiracles present; eyes stalked; predominant pore type quadrilocular; usually with ovisac band around perimeter of ventral abdomen. Notes: Ensign scales are relatively uniform in their morphology and are easily distinguished from other scale families. Field Characters: Adult females with a thick wax ovisac that is attached to the abdomen and not the host; body adorned with patches of thick wax giving an ornate, elegant appearance; legs and antennae large and dark.
Phenacoleachiidae Not Common	Specimen Shown: Phenacoleachia zealandica Common name: Phenacoleachiids Diagnostic Characters: Claw with short and long digitule; labium 4-segmented; lateral margins of abdomen with evaginated tubular structures; ostioles present; trilocular pores present; cicatrices present; coxa divided longitudinally; antennae 9- or 11- segmented; abdominal spiracles weakly defined, but apparently present. Field Characters: Adult female is red or reddish brown and is covered with a white mealy secretion, a cottony wax, and some long curling coarse yellow threads. There are short lateral filaments on the posterior abdominal segments. First instars are yellowish red covered with the same white mealy wax. Adult males are red or reddish yellow, large, covered with white mealy wax, and have 2 lateral filaments.
Phoenicococcidae Not Common	Specimen Shown: Phoenicococcus marlatti Common name: Palm scales or phoenicococcids Diagnostic Characters: Body margin with series of dermal papillae; 8-shaped tubular ducts present; anal ring without pores, with setae; legs absent; spiracles with bar and no associated sclerotized area; antennae with 1 segment. Field Characters: Body small, about 1.5 mm long, spherical, red or reddish brown, embedded or nested in white wax; often rubbed, exposing red color of body. Occurring on white tissues at base of fronds, occasionally on exposed roots and fronds.
Pityococcidae Not Common	Specimen Shown: Pityococcus deleoni Common name: Pityococcids Diagnostic Characters: Eight abdominal spiracles; cicatrices present medially near vulva, similar in appearance to circuli; coxa divided longituinally; fewer than 10 setae on hind tibia (when present); pores in atrium of thoracic spiracles; basal antennal segment longer than other segments; tubular ducts without invagination. Field Characters: Body rotund or elongate, generally pink or yellow, producing small amounts or wax around body; found under bark or lichens.
Polliniinae group Not Common	Specimen Shown: Pollinia pollini Common name: Polliniines Diagnostic Characters: Tubular ducts 8-shaped, without an invagination or enlarged truncate filament; legs absent; antennae reduced to 1 segment; anal ring reduced apparently without pores or setae. Field Characters: Mycetococcus is yellow, has a thin white scale cover, and is embedded in a symbiotic fungal mat on the twigs and branches of the host. Pollinia is red, is covered with a tough white sac, and occurs in cracks of the bark. The general appearance of Sclerosococcus is not known.
Pseudococcidae Common	Specimen Shown: Antonina graminis, Rhizoecus hibisci & Vryburgia amaryllidis Common name: Mealybugs or pseudococcids Diagnostic Characters: Normally with ostioles; cerarii at least on anal lobe; 1 or more circuli; swirled-type trilocular pores; translucent pores on hind legs; 2 pores on each surface of trochanter; without basal denticle on claw. Other characters are: trochanter pores parallel to front edge of femur, not oriented transversely; 3 labial segments; usually 3 pairs of anal-ring setae; more than 4 setae on tibia; tubular ducts without invagination. Field Characters: Adult females are often characterized by a white, mealy or powdery secretion that covers the body. Species that occur in concealed habitats such as grass sheaths either lack this secretion of have only small amounts of it. Frequently marginal areas of the body have a series of protruding lateral wax filaments. These filaments may be absent, confined to the posterior 1 or 2 abdominal segments, or occur around the entire body perimeter. A filamentous secretion often is produced that encloses the eggs and at least part of the body.
Putoidae Common	Specimen Shown: Puto mexicanus Common name: Giant mealybugs or putoids Diagnostic Characters: Body large and rotund; claw with basal denticle in addition to subapical denticle; cerarii large and conspicuous; trochanter with 3 or 4 pores on each surface; with trilocular pores, ostioles, translucent pores on hind legs, and usually with a circulus. Field Characters: Body large, sometimes 5mm long; covered with thick tufts of mealy white wax; lateral filaments broad and coalesced; often with a central ridge of wax; with 2 black stripes on dorsal submedial areas when wax is removed; legs and antennae large and dark; no definite ovisac is produced in most species.
Steingeliidae Not Common	Specimen Shown: Stomacoccus platani Common name: Steingeliids Diagnostic Characters: Claw with 6 or more digitules; 5 or 6 pairs of abdominal spiracles; first antennal segment with conspicuous bar; first antennal segment noticeably longer than other antennal segments; quinquelocular or multilocular pores scattered over body; 1 pair of unusually long setae on venter of each body segment. Field Characters: Body elongate, yellow, antennae projecting forward in "V". Stomacoccus platani Ferris causes brown necrotic spots on sycamore leaves and occurs in clusters of wax on sycamore trunks.
Stictococcidae Common	Specimen Shown: Stictococcus intermedius Common name: Stictococcids Diagnostic Characters: Anal opening near middle of body; anal structure with sclerotized ring surrounding an anterior and posterior plate each with several setae; marginal setae usually larger than other setae, often ornate; tarsal digitules unusually large, extra enlarged tarsal seta also present. Field Characters: Body flattened dorsally but with margin raised off host surface like edge of coin; anal opening near center of body; body segmentation deeply grooved in submarginal areas; mealy wax beneath body; somewhat similar in appearance to soft scales but raised body margin and anal opening distinctive.
Xylococcidae NotCommon	Specimen Shown: Xylococculus almi Common name: Xylococcids Diagnostic Characters: Tarsus (when present) 2 segmented; cicatrices or simple pores normally present; 8 abdominal spiracles; abdominal spiracles usually with associated pores; multilocular pores with more than 5 loculi; mouthparts absent or reduced. Field Characters: Body of adult female usually large, often red or brown, with conspicuous legs (legs absent in Xylococcus filiferus) and antennae. Cysts of Xylococculus and Xylococcus located under bark, with a thin wax tube protruding from bark that is attached to anal opening. Adult females and cysts of Stigmacoccus species occur in tests on the branches of the host.