Black Scale (Saissetia oleae) is one of the soft scales. Crawlers move about for some time before settling on leaves. In the late second instar, a ridge develops on the scale’s back and later expands into an H shape. After the second molt, young scales migrate to twigs where they grow rapidly and become nearly circular; their covers become dark mottled gray and leathery. Once egg laying starts, the covers become harder and darker and the H-shaped ridge often disappears. Adult females have a dark colour, convex body and 0.2-0.3 mm long. A prominent H-shaped ridge is a distinctive feature on its back.Feeding by black scale reduces tree vigor and can cause leaf or fruit drop and twig dieback. Excreted honeydew supports the growth of sooty mould.