page_title: Icerya purchasi
section_title: Reproduction
hierarchical_section_title: Icerya purchasi / Life cycle / Reproduction
caption_attribution_description: Male Icerya purchasi
context_page_description: Icerya purchasi is a scale insect that feeds on more than 65 families of woody plants, most notably on Citrus and Pittosporum. Originally described in 1878 from specimens collected in New Zealand as pests of kangaroo acacia and named by W.M. Maskell "after the Rev. Dr. Purchas who, [he] believe[d], first found it". it is now found worldwide where citrus crops are grown. The cottony cushion scale originates from Australia.
context_section_description: Males are rare in hermaphroditic species of Icerya. Males are haploid while females are diploid. Females have an ovitestis that is capable of producing both sperm and oocytes which fertilize internally to produce diploid offspring (females) through a form of hermaphroditism. The cells of the ovitestis are haploid and are derived from excess sperm during matings with males. This has been termed as 'parasitic tissue' and theoretical studies have examined this as a form of sexual conflict and have examined the possible fates and fitness consequences since females can produce daughters by mating with males or using their parasitic male cell lines. Females that lack ovitestes may preferentially invest in producing sons while females with parasitic tissue should prefer to pass on the genetic material through daughters.
  True males are uncommon to rare overall, and in many infestations are not present. Pure females are unknown. Self-fertilization by a hermaphrodite will produce only hermaphrodites. Matings of a male and hermaphrodite will produce both males and hermaphrodites.
caption: Illustration of a male
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