Adult black scales are round and spherical. Their scale cover has an H-shaped elevation pattern and is dark brown to black in color. Underneath the scale cover an adult female produces many eggs. Young crawlers hatch from these eggs and distribute throughout the plant. Initially, they will settle on younger plant parts. Later they relocate to more woody parts of the plant. The young stages are oval, flat and translucent yellow.

Black scale damage

Black scales are plant-sucking insects that cause growth deformations to the plant. The large amount of honeydew that is secreted during feeding forms a growth medium for fungi which can hamper photosynthesis.