Shield

In the Coccoidea, the shield consists of a waxy secretion that covers the body and adheres to it. In one family, the Diaspididae, the shield is the detachable covering of the insect’s body. In the Acari, shields (also called plates) are a single or more parts of the integument that are structured differently from the rest of the body. They are usually darker and/or bear other markings (e.g. reticulations). Acari may have dorsal as well as ventral shields, the latter usually being weaker.