Pin-sized holes in the wax are evidence of parasitism. Scale crawlers are also preyed upon by numerous beneficial insects. The eggs are laid underneath the waxy covering and hatch in one to three weeks. They insert their piercing-sucking mouthparts into the plant and begin feeding. Female scales molt two times before reaching maturity and do not pupate.
Male scales go through two additional molts and pupate underneath the wax.
In some armored scales the adult stage is reached in six weeks, and there are several generations per year. Some soft scales require one year to reach maturity. Parts of this material may be reproduced for educational use.