Entomology, Department of
Date of this Version
1995
Abstract
Common Names. Turfgrass mealybugs, Rhodesgrass mealybug, buffalograss mealybugs, etc.
Scientific Classification. (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae).
Origin and Distribution. Mealybugs occur worldwide and are widely distributed throughout the United States. In 1967, McKenzie recognized 46 genera of mealybugs in North America. Thirty-seven species within these genera were associated with grasses.
Description. Mealybugs are small, oval insects that are closely related to scale insects. Nymphs and adult females range in color from dark pink to light yellow and are usually covered with a white, waxy secretion. Some species have a series of short, waxy filaments projecting from the sides of the body. Individuals range in length from 0.008 in (0.2 mm) for early instar nymphs to over 0.20 in (5.0 mm) for adult females of certain species.
Comments
Published in HANDBOOK OF TURFGRASS INSECT PESTS, ed. Rick L. Brandenburg & Michael G. Villani (Lanham, MD: Entomological Society of America, 1995), pp. 76-77. Copyright 1995 Entomological Society of America. Used by permission.