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

pest Pest or The Pest may refer to: Science and medicine * Pest (organism), an animal or plant deemed to be detrimental to humans or human concerns ** Weed, a plant considered undesirable * Infectious disease, an illness resulting from an infection ** ...

s 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 Vector most often refers to: *Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction *Vector (epidemiology), an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism Vector may also refer to: Mathematic ...

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 Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

: 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 Hemimetabolism or hemimetaboly, also called incomplete metamorphosis and paurometabolism,McGavin, George C. ''Essential Entomology: An Order-by-Order Introduction''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. pp. 20. is the mode of development of cert ...

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. Th ...

-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 A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree '' Mangifera indica''. It is believed to have originated in the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, and northeastern India. ''M. indica'' has been cultivated in Sout ...

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

gnat A gnat () is any of many species of tiny flying insects in the dipterid suborder Nematocera, especially those in the families Mycetophilidae, Anisopodidae and Sciaridae. They can be both biting and non-biting. Most often they fly in large n ...

s. Some

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), 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 ...

of mealybug lay their

egg An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the a ...

s 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 nati ...

; other species damage sugarcane,

grapes A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...

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 centurie ...

(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 a ...

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 except ...

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, sunflower 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 flowering ...

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. Ca ...

such as '' Sarracenia'' (pitcher plants); in such cases it is difficult to eradicate them without repeated applications of insecticide such as

diazinon Diazinon (IUPAC name: ''O'',''O''-Diethyl ''O''- -methyl-6-(propan-2-yl)pyrimidin-2-ylphosphorothioate, INN - Dimpylate), a colorless to dark brown liquid, is a thiophosphoric acid ester developed in 1952 by Ciba-Geigy, a Swiss chemical company ( ...

. 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 seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

, ''

Withania somnifera ''Withania somnifera'', known commonly as ashwagandha or winter cherry, is an evergreen shrub in the Solanaceae or nightshade family that grows in India, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. Several other species in the genus ''Withania'' are m ...

'' plant have been reported as a new reservoir host for an invasive mealybug species '' Phenacoccus solenopsis''. Some mealybugs of the '' Hypogeococcus'' are used as

biological pest control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also i ...

s 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 count ...

, including ''

Harrisia balansae ''Harrisia'' is the name of two genera Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above specie ...

'', '' 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 ''Acropyga'' is a genus of small formicine ants. Some species can be indirect pests. '' A. acutiventris'', which is found from India to Australia, tends subterranean, root-feeding mealybugs of the species '' Xenococcus annandalei''. Living, grav ...

'' 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 war ...

stage

Dominican amber Dominican amber is amber from the Dominican Republic derived from resin of the extinct tree ''Hymenaea protera''. Dominican amber differentiates itself from Baltic amber by being nearly always transparent, and it has a higher number of fossil incl ...

deposits and several individuals are preserved carrying the extinct mealybug genus '' Electromyrmococcus''. These fossils represent the oldest record of the symbiosis between mealybugs and ''Acropyga'' species ants. File:Maconellicoccus hirsutus - hibiscus mealybug - adult male.jpg, Male

hibiscus ''Hibiscus'' is a genus of flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), gras ...

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 proble ...

'' 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 ...

'' ants tending a herd of mealybugs File:Ladybug(india).jpg, A

ladybird Coccinellidae () is a widespread family of small beetles ranging in size from . They are commonly known as ladybugs in North America and ladybirds in Great Britain. Some entomologists prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as the ...

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 ''Phenacoccus'' is a genus of mealybugs in the family Pseudococcidae. There are at least 180 described species in ''Phenacoccus''. See also * List of Phenacoccus species This is a list of 180 species in ''Phenacoccus'', a genus of mealybugs i ...

'' File:Acropyga glaesaria SMFBE457B2 01.jpg, '' Acropyga glaesaria'' ant carrying an ''

Electromyrmococcus abductus ''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. ...

'' 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. In ...

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 tha ...

, 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 Green lacewings are insects in the large family Chrysopidae of the order Neuroptera. There are about 85 genera and (differing between sources) 1,300–2,000 species in this widespread group. Members of the genera ''Chrysopa'' and ''Chrysoperla'' ...

) 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 An ''endosymbiont'' or ''endobiont'' is any organism that lives within the body or cells of another organism most often, though not always, in a mutualistic relationship. (The term endosymbiosis is from the Greek: ἔνδον ''endon'' "within" ...

, 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 referr ...

'' * '' Allomyrmococcus'' * '' Allotrionymus'' * '' Amonostherium'' * '' Anaparaputo'' * '' Anisococcus'' * '' Annulococcus'' * '' Anthelococcus'' * '' Antonina'' * '' Antoninella'' * '' Antoninoides'' * '' Apodastococcus'' * '' Artemicoccus'' * '' Asaphococcus'' * '' Asphodelococcus'' * '' Asteliacoccus'' * '' Atriplicicoccus'' * ''

Atrococcus ''Atrococcus'' is a genus of true bugs belonging to 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 ...

'' * '' 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 ''Clavicoccus'' is a genus of insect in family Pseudococcidae. It contains the following species: *''Clavicoccus erinaceus ''Clavicoccus erinaceus'' is an extinct species of mealybug in the family Pseudococcidae. It was endemic to Oʻahu, whe ...

'' * '' 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 ''Dysmicoccus'' is a genus of scales and 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 ...

'' * '' Eastia'' * '' Ehrhornia'' * '' Electromyrmococcus'' † * '' 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 ''Laminicoccus'' is a genus of mealy-bugs belonging to the family Pseudococcidae. The genus was first described in 1960 by Williams.Williams, D.J. 1960. The Pseudococcidae (Coccoidea: Homoptera) of the Solomon Islands. Bulletin of the British M ...

'' * '' 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 ''Pandanicola'' is a genus of fungi in the family Xylariaceae The Xylariaceae are a family of mostly small ascomycetous fungi. It is one of the most commonly encountered groups of ascomycetes and is found throughout the temperate and tropi ...

'' * '' Papuacoccus'' * '' Paracoccus'' * '' Paradiscococcus'' * '' Paradoxococcus'' * '' Paraferrisia'' * '' Paramococcus'' * '' Paramonostherium'' * '' Paramyrmococcus'' * '' Parapaludicoccus'' * '' Parapedronia'' * '' Paraputo'' * '' Pararhodania'' * '' Paratrionymus'' * '' Parkermicus'' * '' Paulianodes'' * '' Pedrococcus'' * '' Pedronia'' * '' Peliococcopsis'' * ''

Peliococcus ''Peliococcus'' is a genus of true bugs belonging to the family Pseudococcidae. The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most o ...

'' * '' Pelionella'' * '' Pellizzaricoccus'' * '' Penthococcus'' * '' Peridiococcus'' * ''

Phenacoccus ''Phenacoccus'' is a genus of mealybugs in the family Pseudococcidae. There are at least 180 described species in ''Phenacoccus''. See also * List of Phenacoccus species This is a list of 180 species in ''Phenacoccus'', a genus of mealybugs i ...

'' * ''

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, lo ...

'' * '' Pilococcus'' * ''

Planococcoides ''Planococcoides'' is a genus of true bugs belonging to the family Pseudococcidae. Species: *''Planococcoides anaboranae'' *''Planococcoides bengalensis'' *''Planococcoides celtis'' *''Planococcoides crassus'' *''Planococcoides formosus'' ...

'' * '' Planococcus'' * '' Pleistocerarius'' * '' Plotococcus'' * '' Poecilococcus'' * '' Polystomophora'' * '' Porisaccus'' * '' Porococcus'' * '' Prorhizoecus'' * ''

Prorsococcus ''Prorsococcus'' is a genus of mealybug native to Australia. The genus only contains the single species ''Prorsococcus acanthodus'', described by Williams in 1985. ''Prorsococcus acanthodus'' is regularly attended by the ant ''Ochetellus flavipes ...

'' * '' 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'' *'' Ps ...

'' * '' Pseudorhizoecus'' * '' Pseudorhodania'' * '' Pseudoripersia'' * '' Pseudotrionymus'' * ''

Puto Puto may refer to: * Puto, a Spanish profanity * Puto (film), a 1987 Filipino teen fantasy comedy * Puto (food), a Filipino food * Puto (genus), a genus of scale insects * Puto (song), by Mexican band Molotov * Puto (TV series), a 2021 Filipin ...

'' * '' Pygmaeococcus'' * '' Quadrigallicoccus'' * ''

Rastrococcus ''Rastrococcus'' is a genus of true bugs belonging to the family Pseudococcidae. The species of this genus are found in Africa, Southern Asia and Australia. Species: *'' Rastrococcus asteliae'' *''Rastrococcus banksiae'' *'' Rastrococcus big ...

'' * '' Renicaula'' * ''

Rhizoecus ''Rhizoecus'' is a genus of true bugs belonging to the family Pseudococcidae. The genus has almost cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most of ...

'' * '' 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 In biogeography, cosmopolitan distribution is the term for the range of a taxon that extends across all or most o ...

'' * '' 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 governm ...

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

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