Does anyone know what these insects are, please?

Weird. Are they firm and attached like scale? Do they hop, fly crawl? Flee when disturbed?

NMoasis said: Weird. Are they firm and attached like scale? Do they hop, fly crawl? Flee when disturbed?

They ARE weird! They look like they would be soft like a moth but feel hard. They are not attached. They crawl. I poked them several times before they acted disturbed but only the ones I poked moved & not fast nor far.

One acted like it was going to jump like a leafhopper would but didn't actually hop or go anywhere. Looks like there are a lot of eggs on the main vein of the leaf.

I've never seen them before.

My closest guess is scale of some sort but a quick search didn't turn up one specific to echinacea. Scales come in many shapes and sizes, so could be.

Or...Death watch beetle???:
https://www.marylandbiodiversi...

Well, I've just gone down a rabbit hole of extremely creepy insects. No luck, but thinking now they could be a chrysalis of some kind? Looking forward to seeing if someone can ID them.🦠

They look soft & fuzzy like a moth but they are not. They feel hard & smooth like plastic. And they are not stuck. They crawl & are either laying the eggs or eating them. Idk.

But I thought scales don't crawl.

Yup, you're right. They can crawl only in their juvenile stage, and they are small and soft at that stage. I've rejected that theory. Unfortunately, I don't have any other solid idea.

The one is a different shape but has the same colors

Do you think it could be some kind of Spittlebug?

https://www.mtpr.org/arts-cult...

Surely looks like a member of Membracoidea (Leafhoppers and Treehoppers).
I think an Aster treehoppers (Publilia concava)
https://bugguide.net/node/view...

Thank y'all for your help

You're welcome Thea and thanks for the nuts, but I wasn't any help at all — credit goes to Tofi. 👍

NMoasis said: You're welcome Thea and thanks for the nuts, but I wasn't any help at all — credit goes to Tofi. 👍

He got nuts too You tried & that was worth nuts to me