cottony-cushion scale

[ kot-n-ee koosh-uhn ]

noun

1. a scale insect, Icerya purchasi, native to Australia, now a common pest in the citrus-growing regions of California.

cottony-cushion scale

noun

1. a small scale insect, Icerya purchasi, that is a pest of citrus trees in California: it is controlled by introducing an Australian ladybird, Rodolia cardinalis, into affected areas

Word History and Origins

Origin of cottony-cushion scale¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

You remember that I told you that one of these troublesome scales is the cottony-cushion scale, and that one day it was discovered that a lady-beetle from Australia liked these scales very much.

From Project Gutenberg