Mealybugs are insects in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Pseudococcidae, unarmored

scale insect Scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, suborder Sternorrhyncha. Of dramatically variable appearance and extreme sexual dimorphism, they comprise the infraorder Coccomorpha which is considered a more convenient grouping than th ...

s found in moist, warm habitats. Many species are considered pests as they feed on plant juices of

greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown.These ...

plants, house plants and subtropical trees and also act as a vector for several plant diseases. Some ants live in symbiotic relationships with them, protecting them from predators and feeding off the honeydew which they excrete.

Description

Mealybugs are sexually dimorphic: females appear as nymphs, exhibiting reduced morphology, and lack wings, although unlike many female scale insects, they often retain legs and can move. Males are smaller, gnat-like and have wings. Since mealybugs (as well as all other Hemiptera) are hemimetabolous insects, they do not undergo complete metamorphosis in the true sense of the word. However, male mealybugs do exhibit a radical change during their life cycle, changing from wingless, ovoid nymphs to

wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder ...

-like flying adults. Mealybug females feed on plant sap, normally in roots or other crevices, and in a few cases the bottoms of stored fruit. They attach themselves to the plant and secrete a powdery wax layer (hence the name "mealy" bug) used for protection while they suck the plant juices. In Asia, mango mealybug is considered a major menace for the mango crop. The males on the other hand are short-lived as they do not feed at all as adults and only live to fertilize the females. Male citrus mealy bugs fly to the females and resemble fluffy gnats. Some

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

of mealybug lay their eggs in the same waxy layer used for protection in quantities of 50–100; other species are born directly from the female. The most serious pests are mealybugs that feed on

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

; other species damage

sugarcane Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus '' Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalk ...

, grapes,

pineapple The pineapple (''Ananas comosus'') is a tropical plant with an edible fruit; it is the most economically significant plant in the family Bromeliaceae. The pineapple is indigenous to South America, where it has been cultivated for many centuri ...

(Jahn et al. 2003), coffee trees,

cassava ''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...

cacti A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gree ...

gardenia ''Gardenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the coffee family, Rubiaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Madagascar and Pacific Islands, and Australia. The genus was named by Carl Linnaeus and John Ellis af ...

papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus '' Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...

mulberry ''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of diverse species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 ident ...

sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), ...

and

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of floweri ...

s. Mealybugs only tend to be serious pests in the presence of ants because the ants protect them from predators and parasites. Mealybugs are also a vector of viruses in grapevines, spreading grapevine leafroll and grapevine red blotch viruses. Mealybugs also infest some species of

carnivorous plant Carnivorous plants are plants that derive some or most of their nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans, typically insects and other arthropods. Carnivorous plants still generate some of their energy from photosynthesis ...

such as '' Sarracenia'' (pitcher plants); in such cases it is difficult to eradicate them without repeated applications of insecticide such as diazinon. Small infestations may not inflict significant damage. In larger amounts though, they can induce leaf drop. In recent years, some of the mealybug species have become invasive pests in localities posing a great problem to the new agro-ecosystems. In

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

, '' Withania somnifera'' plant have been reported as a new reservoir host for an invasive mealybug species ''

Phenacoccus solenopsis ''Phenacoccus solenopsis'', the cotton mealybug or solenopsis mealybug, is a species of mealybug in the family Pseudococcidae. Having originated in North America, it has spread to other parts of the world and become a major pest of cotton crops. ...

''. Some mealybugs of the '' Hypogeococcus'' are used as biological pest controls of invasive

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

, including '' Harrisia balansae'', '' H. martinii'', and '' Opuntia cespitosa''.

Fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

specimens of genus '' Acropyga'' ants have been recovered from the

Burdigalian The Burdigalian is, in the geologic timescale, an age or stage in the early Miocene. It spans the time between 20.43 ± 0.05 Ma and 15.97 ± 0.05 Ma (million years ago). Preceded by the Aquitanian, the Burdigalian was the first and longest w ...

stage Dominican amber deposits and several individuals are preserved carrying the extinct mealybug genus ''

Electromyrmococcus ''Electromyrmococcus'' is an extinct genus of mealybug in the Pseudococcidae subfamily Rhizoecinae. The genus currently contains three species, all from the early Miocene, Burdigalian stage, Dominican amber deposits on the island of Hispaniola. ...

''. These fossils represent the oldest record of the

symbiosis Symbiosis (from Greek , , "living together", from , , "together", and , bíōsis, "living") is any type of a close and long-term biological interaction between two different biological organisms, be it mutualistic, commensalistic, or para ...

between mealybugs and ''Acropyga'' species ants. File:Maconellicoccus hirsutus - hibiscus mealybug - adult male.jpg, Male hibiscus mealybug, ''

Maconellicoccus hirsutus ''Maconellicoccus hirsutus'', (also known as the pink, grape or hibiscus mealybug) is a pest of many plants, trees, and shrubs. It infests hibiscus, citrus, coffee, sugar cane, annonas, plums, guava, mango (although, mango mealybug is more probl ...

'' File:Formica fusca and mealy bugs.jpg, ''

Formica fusca ''Formica fusca'' is a black-colored ant commonly found throughout Europe as well as parts of Southern Asia and Africa. It has the common names silky ant or dusky ant. The range within the palaearctic region extends from Portugal in the west to ...

'' ants tending a herd of mealybugs File:Ladybug(india).jpg, A ladybird preying on mealybugs File:Mealybugs feeding on hibiscus plant.jpg, alt=Mealybugs on Hibiscus plant., Mealybugs on hibiscus plant File:Phenacoccus aceris.jpg, '' Phenacoccus aceris'' File:Acropyga glaesaria SMFBE457B2 01.jpg, ''

Acropyga glaesaria ''Acropyga glaesaria'' is an extinct species of ant in the subfamily Formicinae known from a group of possibly Miocene fossils found on Hispaniola. ''A. glaesaria'' is the first species of the ant genus '' Acropyga'' to have been described from f ...

'' ant carrying an '' Electromyrmococcus abductus'' mealybug

Control methods

Pyrethroid A pyrethroid is an organic compound similar to the natural pyrethrins, which are produced by the flowers of pyrethrums ('' Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium'' and '' C. coccineum''). Pyrethroids are used as commercial and household insecticides. ...

s such as

permethrin Permethrin is a medication and an insecticide. As a medication, it is used to treat scabies and lice. It is applied to the skin as a cream or lotion. As an insecticide, it can be sprayed onto clothing or mosquito nets to kill the insects th ...

, bifenthrin or

cyfluthrin Cyfluthrin is a pyrethroid insecticide and common household pesticide. It is a complex organic compound and the commercial product is sold as a mixture of isomers. Like most pyrethroids (MoA 3a), it is highly toxic to fish and invertebrates, but ...

can be used to control mealybugs. Some gardeners use green lacewing ( Chrysopidae) larvae to control mealybug infestations, as the larval lacewings are voracious predators of aphids and other small insects.

Metabolism

Mealybugs have a highly sophisticated metabolism that involves not one but two bacterial endosymbionts, one inside the other. The endosymbionts make essential amino acids that the mealybug is now unable to acquire directly from its diet. Genetically, mealybugs rely on a "mosaic" of metabolic pathways in which proteins are transported across membranes between what were once independent organisms.

Genera

* '' Acaciacoccus'' * '' Acinicoccus'' * '' Acrochordonus'' * '' Adelosoma'' * '' Agastococcus'' * ''

Albertinia ''Albertinia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the daisy family The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly refer ...

'' * '' Allomyrmococcus'' * '' Allotrionymus'' * '' Amonostherium'' * '' Anaparaputo'' * '' Anisococcus'' * '' Annulococcus'' * '' Anthelococcus'' * '' Antonina'' * '' Antoninella'' * '' Antoninoides'' * '' Apodastococcus'' * '' Artemicoccus'' * '' Asaphococcus'' * '' Asphodelococcus'' * '' Asteliacoccus'' * '' Atriplicicoccus'' * '' Atrococcus'' * '' Australicoccus'' * '' Australiputo'' * '' Balanococcus'' * '' Bessenayla'' * '' Bimillenia'' * '' Birendracoccus'' * '' Boninococcus'' * '' Boreococcus'' * '' Bouhelia'' * '' Brasiliputo'' * '' Brevennia'' * '' Brevicoccus'' * '' Callitricoccus'' * '' Calyptococcus'' * '' Cannococcus'' * '' Capitisetella'' * '' Cataenococcus'' * '' Chaetococcus'' * '' Chaetotrionymus'' * '' Chileputo'' * '' Chlorococcus'' * '' Chnaurococcus'' * '' Chorizococcus'' * '' Chryseococcus'' * '' Cintococcus'' * '' Circaputo'' * '' Cirnecoccus'' * '' Clavicoccus'' * '' Coccidohystrix'' * '' Coccura'' * '' Coleococcus'' * '' Colombiacoccus'' * '' Conicosoma'' * '' Conulicoccus'' * '' Coorongia'' * '' Cormiococcus'' * '' Criniticoccus'' * '' Crisicoccus'' * '' Crocydococcus'' * '' Cryptoripersia'' * '' Cucullococcus'' * '' Cyperia'' * '' Cypericoccus'' * '' Cyphonococcus'' * '' Dawa'' * '' Delococcus'' * '' Delottococcus'' * '' Densispina'' * '' Discococcus'' * '' Distichlicoccus'' * '' Diversicrus'' * '' Drymococcus'' * '' Dysmicoccus'' * '' Eastia'' * '' Ehrhornia'' * ''

'' † * '' Epicoccus'' * '' Erimococcus'' * '' Eriocorys'' * '' Erioides'' * '' Erium'' * '' Eucalyptococcus'' * '' Eumirococcus'' * '' Eumyrmococcus'' * '' Eupeliococcus'' * '' Euripersia'' * '' Eurycoccus'' * '' Exilipedronia'' * '' Farinococcus'' * '' Ferrisia'' * '' Ferrisicoccus'' * '' Fijicoccus'' * '' Fonscolombia'' * '' Formicococcus'' * '' Gallulacoccus'' * '' Geococcus'' * '' Glycycnyza'' * '' Gomezmenoricoccus'' * '' Gouxia'' * '' Greenoripersia'' * '' Grewiacoccus'' * '' Hadrococcus'' * '' Heliococcus'' * '' Heterococcopsis'' * '' Heterococcus'' * '' Heteroheliococcus'' * '' Hippeococcus'' * '' Hopefoldia'' * '' Humococcus'' * '' Hypogeococcus'' * '' Iberococcus'' * '' Idiococcus'' * '' Indococcus'' * '' Inopicoccus'' * '' Ityococcus'' * '' Kenmorea'' * '' Kermicus'' * '' Kiritshenkella'' * '' Lachnodiella'' * '' Lachnodiopsis'' * '' Lacombia'' * '' Laingiococcus'' * '' Laminicoccus'' * '' Lankacoccus'' * '' Lantanacoccus'' * '' Lenania'' * '' Leptococcus'' * '' Leptorhizoecus'' * '' Liucoccus'' * '' Lomatococcus'' * '' Londiania'' * '' Longicoccus'' * '' Maconellicoccus'' * '' Macrocepicoccus'' * '' Maculicoccus'' * '' Madacanthococcus'' * '' Madagasia'' * '' Madangiacoccus'' * '' Madeurycoccus'' * '' Malaicoccus'' * '' Malekoccus'' * '' Mammicoccus'' * '' Marendellea'' * '' Mascarenococcus'' * '' Maskellococcus'' * '' Mauricoccus'' * '' Melanococcus'' * '' Metadenopsis'' * '' Metadenopus'' * '' Miconicoccus'' * '' Mirococcopsis'' * '' Mirococcus'' * '' Miscanthicoccus'' * '' Misericoccus'' * '' Mizococcus'' * '' Mollicoccus'' * '' Mombasinia'' * '' Moystonia'' * '' Mutabilicoccus'' * '' Nairobia'' * '' Natalensia'' * '' Neochavesia'' * '' Neoclavicoccus'' * '' Neoripersia'' * '' Neosimmondsia'' * '' Neotrionymus'' * '' Nesococcus'' * '' Nesopedronia'' * '' Nesticoccus'' * '' Nipaecoccus'' * '' Novonilacoccus'' * '' Octococcus'' * '' Odacoccus'' * '' Ohiacoccus'' * '' Oracella'' * '' Orococcus'' * '' Orstomicoccus'' * '' Oxyacanthus'' * '' Palaucoccus'' * '' Palmicultor'' * '' Paludicoccus'' * '' Pandanicola'' * '' Papuacoccus'' * ''

Paracoccus ''Paracoccus'' is a genus of bacteria in the family Rhodobacteraceae.See the NCBIbr>webpage on Paracoccus Data extracted from the Species Accepted Species The following species have been effectively and validly published: * '' Paracoccus acr ...

'' * '' Paradiscococcus'' * '' Paradoxococcus'' * '' Paraferrisia'' * '' Paramococcus'' * '' Paramonostherium'' * '' Paramyrmococcus'' * '' Parapaludicoccus'' * '' Parapedronia'' * '' Paraputo'' * '' Pararhodania'' * '' Paratrionymus'' * '' Parkermicus'' * '' Paulianodes'' * '' Pedrococcus'' * '' Pedronia'' * '' Peliococcopsis'' * '' Peliococcus'' * '' Pelionella'' * '' Pellizzaricoccus'' * '' Penthococcus'' * '' Peridiococcus'' * ''

Phenacoccus ''Phenacoccus'' is a genus of mealybugs in the family Pseudococcidae Mealybugs are insects in the family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Many species are considered pests as they feed on plant juices o ...

'' * ''

Phyllococcus ''Phyllococcus oahuensis'' was a species of mealybug in the family Pseudococcidae, and the only species in the genus ''Phyllococcus''. It was endemic to Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, l ...

'' * '' Pilococcus'' * '' Planococcoides'' * '' Planococcus'' * '' Pleistocerarius'' * '' Plotococcus'' * '' Poecilococcus'' * '' Polystomophora'' * '' Porisaccus'' * '' Porococcus'' * '' Prorhizoecus'' * '' Prorsococcus'' * '' Pseudantonina'' * ''

Pseudococcus ''Pseudococcus'' is a genus of unarmoured scale insects in the family Pseudococcidae, the mealy bugs. There are more than 150 species of ''Pseudococcus''. Species Species include: *''Pseudococcus aberrans'' *''Pseudococcus acirculus'' *''Pseud ...

'' * '' Pseudorhizoecus'' * '' Pseudorhodania'' * '' Pseudoripersia'' * '' Pseudotrionymus'' * '' Puto'' * '' Pygmaeococcus'' * '' Quadrigallicoccus'' * '' Rastrococcus'' * '' Renicaula'' * '' Rhizoecus'' * '' Rhodania'' * '' Ripersia'' * '' Ritsemia'' * '' Rosebankia'' * '' Saccharicoccus'' * '' Sarococcus'' * '' Scaptococcus'' * '' Seabrina'' * '' Serrolecanium'' * '' Seyneria'' * '' Spartinacoccus'' * '' Sphaerococcus'' * ''

Spilococcus ''Spilococcus'' is a genus of true bugs belonging to the family Pseudococcidae. The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution. Species: * ''Spilococcus alhagii'' (Hall, 1926) * ''Spilococcus andersoni'' (Coleman, 1903) References

{{Au ...

'' * '' Spinococcus'' * '' Stachycoccus'' * '' Stemmatomerinx'' * '' Stipacoccus'' * '' Strandanna'' * '' Stricklandina'' * '' Strombococcus'' * '' Synacanthococcus'' * '' Syrmococcus'' * '' Tangicoccus'' * '' Tasmanicoccus'' * '' Telocorys'' * '' Tibetococcus'' * '' Tomentocera'' * ''

Trabutina ''Trabutina'' is a genus of "blue-green" mealybugs, containing five species: '' T. crassispinosa'', '' T. elastica'', '' T. mannipara'', '' T. serpentina'', and '' T. tenax''. This genus of scale insects feeds solely on plants of the genus ''Tama ...

'' * '' Tridiscus'' * '' Trimerococcus'' * '' Trionymus'' * '' Trochiscococcus'' * '' Turbinococcus'' * '' Tylococcus'' * '' Tympanococcus'' * '' Ventrispina'' * '' Villosicoccus'' * '' Volvicoccus'' * '' Vryburgia'' * '' Xenococcus'' * '' Yudnapinna''

References

External links

* ttps://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/advice/pests_and_diseases/identifier.shtml?mealy_bugs Mealy bugs ''Pseudococcus spp.''��BBC gardening advice
CISR – Vine Mealybug
��Center for Invasive Species Research summary on Vine Mealybug * On the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is a teaching, research and Extension scientific organization focused on agriculture and natural resources. It is a partnership of federal, state, and county governmen ...

''Featured Creatures'' website: *
''Hypogeococcus pungens''
*

{{Taxonbar, from=Q143569 Agricultural pest insects Insect pests of ornamental plants Insect vectors of plant pathogens