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mealybug |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.06 sec. |
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mealybug, common name for certain unarmored scale insects scale insect, common name for members of a highly modified group of insects belonging to several families of the superfamily Coccoidea. Scales possess antennae and are characterized by reduced legs. Only the males have wings; females are always wingless. ..... Click the link for more information. that exude a granular white secretion, giving them a mealy appearance. Many are common greenhouse and crop pests. Adult females are wingless, with oval, segmented bodies and well-developed legs. The females and young feed on various parts of plants with their sucking mouthparts. Adult males have no mouthparts and do not feed. In egg-laying species the female produces several hundred eggs in a mass covered with waxy threads. In other species the young are born alive. The most serious pests are mealybugs that feed on citrus; other species damage sugarcane, grapes, pineapple, coffee trees, ferns, and orchids. Mealybugs are classified in the phylum Arthropoda Arthropoda (ärthrŏp`ədə) [Gr.,=jointed feet], largest and most diverse animal phylum. ..... Click the link for more information. , class Insecta, order Homoptera, family Pseudococcidae. mealybugAny insect of the family Pseudococcidae (order Homoptera). Not a true bug, the mealybug is covered by a white sticky powder resembling cornmeal. The females, about 0.4 in. (1 cm) long, and “crawlers” (the active young) cluster along the veins and undersides of leaves, especially of citrus trees and potted plants; the males are active two-winged fliers. Common species are the citrus mealybug (Pseudococcus citri) and the citrophilus mealybug (P. gahani). How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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Use insecticidal soap or systemic insecticide if you see pests such as mealy bugs, spider mites and scale. Keep it pruned out on a regular basis both to prolong its more attractive, juvenile phase and to reduce the predations of mealy bugs and white flies. ``Although ants don't actually eat your plants, they give free rides to garden pests such as mealy bugs,'' says Musial. |
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