Coccus hesperidum
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Coccus hesperidum is a soft scale insect in the family Coccidae with a wide host range. It is commonly known as brown soft scale. It has a cosmopolitan distribution and feeds on many different host plants. It is an agricultural pest, particularly of citrus and commercial greenhouse crops.
The adult female scale insect is oval and dome-shaped, about 3 to 5 mm (0.12 to 0.20 in) long. It retains its legs and antennae throughout its life. Its cuticle is made of chitin but it does not produce the copious quantities of wax that armoured scales do. It is a pale yellowish-brown or greenish-brown colour with brown irregular speckles, and darkens with age. Male brown soft scale insects are rarely found.
The brown soft scale is polyphagous, meaning it feeds on many species of plants. It attacks a wide variety of crops, ornamental and greenhouse plants. In Hawaii, host plants include citrus, loquat, papaya, rubber trees and orchids.
The brown soft scale is ovoviviparous and produces young mostly by parthenogenesis. Over the course of her life, the female may produce up to 250 eggs, a few being laid each day. The eggs are retained inside the insect until... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Soft Scale sighting in London on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 1394th most-seen of the 1504 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Soft Scale in London on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Brown Soft Scale sightings, London ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Auckland (New Zealand, under 5%).
Same order: Hemiptera
The closest relatives of the Brown Soft Scale that you can see in London (order Hemiptera, True Bugs, Hoppers, Aphids, and allies) are Green Shield Bug (about 30%), Trivial Plant Bug (about 30%) and Dock Bug (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Brown Soft Scale is recorded against all the insects logged in London (5 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
