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Photo#1026923
ID help - Coccus hesperidum
Copyright © 2014 Matt Edmonds

ID help - Coccus hesperidum
Pinellas County, Florida, USA
December 15, 2014
Size: 2-3mm
What are the ants tending? Syrphid??? You can see the nectar delivering gland on the right as on orange bump. I guess the 2 black dots on the other end are proto-"eyes". Spider mites on the plant are my guess as the prey for this guy. (there is a smaller one under the center ants abdomen)
Thanks!

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ID help - Coccus hesperidum ID help - Coccus hesperidum ID help - Coccus hesperidum
Contributed by Matt Edmonds on 15 December, 2014 - 3:34pm
Last updated 16 December, 2014 - 4:34am

Thanks for the help!
Moved from ID Request.
… Matt Edmonds, 16 December, 2014 - 4:34am

Definitely scale
I am not sure of the specific species but definitely ants tending to soft brown scale. They are unrelated to the spider mites. Scale suck the juices of the plant and excrete honeydew which feeds the ants.
… Beth Close, 15 December, 2014 - 5:45pm

Scale, perhaps?
Reminds me of something like this:

… Ken Wolgemuth, 15 December, 2014 - 4:20pm

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