An insect of the family Coccidae; a scale insect that feeds on plant sap and includes pests and species used for cochineal dye.
From coccus (the insect group name) + -id (a suffix for individual members of a group); scale insects were named coccidae by Linnaeus based on their round, seed-like appearance.
Scale insects are masters of disguise—they look like tiny bumps on plants, but a single female can produce thousands of offspring, making them agricultural nightmares that farmers wage chemical war against.
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