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

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

Answer: (A)

Pests that damage plants by sucking juices do so with piercing-sucking mouthparts that extract sap from plant tissues. Scale insects fit this pattern: they attach to stems or leaves and feed on sap, which weakens the plant and can leave behind a sugary honeydew that promotes sooty mold. You’ll often see them as small, immobile bumps stuck to the plant surface. The other organisms shown don’t primarily suck plant juices: ladybugs are beneficial predators of pest insects; cabbage moths chew leaves with their caterpillars; and black ants are not sap-suckers themselves (though they can interact with sap-sucking pests).