It is thought to be a native of South China[1] but has been widely dispersed by the agency of man through the movement of infected plant material.

When they first hatch the nymphs are a yellowish color and search for a suitable place to settle in depressions on twigs, leaves or fruits.

They then start feeding by inserting their mouthparts deep into the plant tissue and sucking sap from the parenchyma cells.

[3] The male scale insect develops similarly until after the second moult when it becomes oval and darker than the female, measuring about one millimetre in diameter with an eccentric cover.

[7] Red scale is potentially a severe pest of citrus in California, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Israel, the eastern Mediterranean islands,[8] and South Africa.

[6] Although citrus is the main crop attacked by red scale, it can also be found on species from at least seventy-seven plant families[9] and has been successfully reared in the laboratory on potato tubers and pumpkin.

[5] Predators include Aleurodothrips fasciapennis, several species of Chilocorus, Cybocephalus micans, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri, Hemisarcoptes malus and Rhyzobius lophanthae.

[5] In California, several predators feed on red scale including the lady beetles, Rhyzobius lophanthae, Chilocorus orbus and Chiliocorus cacti.