Pest profile

Purple Scale

Lepidosaphes beckii · Hemiptera: Diaspididae[2]

Purple scale is a serious armored scale pest of citrus that infests leaves, fruit and stems.[1]

Purple scale, an elongate, slightly curved brownish-purple armored scale on a green citrus leaf
Purple scale, an elongate, slightly curved brownish-purple armored scale on a green citrus leaf. (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0

How to identify it

  • Adult females are small, elongate, 1/12 to 1/8 inch, purple to dark brown and slightly curved.[1]
  • Fruit shows green spots that don't color properly, and leaves get yellow spots.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
California red scaleRound reddish-brown scabs rather than elongate curved purple scales.[1]

Where it lives

HGIC covers it on citrus in South Carolina; parasitic wasps keep it in check in Florida.[1]

US map: public records from 7 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Mobile immatures are tiny and white, and there may be two generations a year.[1]

It prefers shady, protected parts of the tree, so numbers are highest toward the center.[1]

Damage and signs

  • It causes leaf yellowing and drop, spotted or deformed fruit and shoot malformation; heavy infestations can kill plants.[1]

Health risk

It feeds on plants; Clemson HGIC mentions no risk to people.[1]

Control

Biological control

Parasitic wasps control it in Florida but may not yet be present in South Carolina.[1]

Pesticides

Horticultural oil kills all scale stages present, best before new growth in late winter or early spring, above 45 degrees F.[1]

Common questions

Why does my citrus fruit have green spots that won't color?
Purple scale feeding causes green spots on fruit that don't color correctly.[1]
Where should I look for purple scale?
Toward the shady center of the tree, where it hides from parasites.[1]

Sources

  1. Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, “Citrus Insects & Related Pests (HGIC 2221).” hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/citrus-insects-related-pests/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. iNaturalist, “Lepidosaphes beckii taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/330227 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-14. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.