An insect pest that damages a plant by sucking plant juices is a

An insect pest that damages a plant by sucking plant juices is a

• A. Cabbage moth
• B. Black ant
• C. Lady bug
• D. Scale insect

Answer: (D)

Damage from sucking plant juices comes from sap-sucking insects, and scale insects are a classic example. They attach to leaves or stems and use piercing-sucking mouthparts to withdraw sap from the plant’s tissues. This removal of nutrients can lead to yellowing, stunted growth, and overall decline, and their excretion of honeydew often encourages sooty mold that further reduces photosynthesis. Scale insects are usually immobile and encased in a protective covering, which makes them hard to remove and challenging to control. Cabbage moths chew on leaves rather than suck sap, so their damage profile is different. Black ants aren’t sap-suckers themselves; they’re often associated with sap-feeders like aphids. Lady bugs are beneficial predators, not pests that suck plant juices. So the insect that damages a plant by sucking plant juices is the scale insect.

Damage from sucking plant juices comes from sap-sucking insects, and scale insects are a classic example. They attach to leaves or stems and use piercing-sucking mouthparts to withdraw sap from the plant’s tissues. This removal of nutrients can lead to yellowing, stunted growth, and overall decline, and their excretion of honeydew often encourages sooty mold that further reduces photosynthesis. Scale insects are usually immobile and encased in a protective covering, which makes them hard to remove and challenging to control.

Cabbage moths chew on leaves rather than suck sap, so their damage profile is different. Black ants aren’t sap-suckers themselves; they’re often associated with sap-feeders like aphids. Lady bugs are beneficial predators, not pests that suck plant juices. So the insect that damages a plant by sucking plant juices is the scale insect.