Damage symptoms
Scale infestation can be seen by the appearance of the scale armour on stems, leaves and fruits of hosts. Infestations on the leaves and stems may cause wilting and may reduce the photosynthetic area of the plants, leading to lower yield. Damage to fruit occurs in heavy infestations, where spotting and often deformity of fruits affects market value. In olives this is seen as green spots on purple fruits. Damage to foliage is particularly important in ornamentals. Heavy infestation can lead to yellowing, leaf and shoot malformation or shrivelling and plant death.