Septobasidiales is an order of fungi within the class Pucciniomycetes and phylum Basidiomycota, primarily known for its parasitic relationship with scale insects. Members of this order form unique symbiotic or parasitic associations, often creating a mat-like fungal structure over colonies of insects, which they partially parasitize while sometimes providing protection to the host insects. Septobasidiales species typically grow on woody plants, and their life cycle involves complex interactions between the fungus, its insect host, and the plant substrate. These fungi are ecologically significant for their role in insect population dynamics and as examples of highly specialized parasitism in Basidiomycota.