Arcane insect question

Factual Questions
1

Hi all,

I know that ladybugs eat scale insects quite voraciously, and I’ve had good success with them in the field, as it were.

What I’m wondering is, how do they get at the scale insects under the waxy shield that they make for themselves?

(For the uninitiated, many scale bugs make a convex, seemingly impenetrable shield around themselves.)

2

I have never seen such scale insects before, so I don’t know how impenetrable they seem. IIRC, ladybugs have strong and sharp biting mouthparts, is there some possibility that they might just chew themselves through?

Maybe you have some magnification aid so that you can observe it in action?