Mealybug

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Mealybug common name for certain homopteran insects of the family Pseudococidae. Many are common pests on trees, ornamental and greenhouse plants. They are so named because of the mealy or waxy secretions that cover their bodies. Adult females are wingless, with oval segmented bodies and well-developed legs; 1-5 mm in length. The mealybug family is characterized by having an anal ring with four or more setae, nine-segmented antennae, dorsal ostioles, and ventral circuli. It is the ovoid, sluggish, mature female that generally observed.

Table  Common mealybug and their hosts recorded.

Mealybug species Common host plants
Antonina graminis Saccharum officinarum
Antonina zonata Bambusa arundinacea
Birendracoccus saccharifolii Saccharum officinarum
Brevennia rehi Oryza sativa, Saccharum officinarum
Coccidohystrix insolita Solanum melongena
Dysmicoccus brevipes Annas sativus, Cardanthera uliginosa, Glycine max, Psidium guajava, Saccharum officinarum
Ferrisia virgata Aegle marmelos, Camellia sinensis, Capsicum annum, Citrus aurantifolia, Coffea arabica, Corchorus olitorius, Gossypium harbaceum, Lycopersicon lycopersicum, Psidium guajava
Kiritshenkella sacchari Saccharum officinarum
Maconellicoccus hirsutus Gossypium harbaceum
Nipaecoccus viridis Artocarpus heterophyllus, citrus aurantifolia, glycine max, Gossypium harbaceum, Hibiscus spp. Solanum tuberosum
Palmicultor palmarum Borassus flabellifer, Cocos nucifera
Planococcus citri Citrus aurantifolia, Manilkara zapota, psidium guajava
Planococcus lilacinus Parkia roxburghii
Planococuss pacificus Psidium guajava
Pseudococcus filamentosus Glycine max
Rastrococcus iccryoides Mangifera indica
Rastrococcus mangiferae Mangifera indica
Rastrococcus spinosus Citrus aurantifolia, Mangifera indica, Psidium guajava
Saccharicoccus sacchari Saccharum officinarum

Males are gnat like, with a single pair of wings and are able to fly in search of females. Their mouthparts are atrophied and do not feed. Female mealybugs have long sucking mouthparts adapted for feeding on plant juices. There are about 400 species of mealybug in the world. [Bidhan Chandra Das]