1. Department of Horticulture & Landscape Gardening
R.R.D.T. NIRANGA
Department of Horticulture & Landscape Gardening
Faculty of Agriculture & Plantation mgt Wayamba University of Sri Lanka
MEALY BUG

2. Scientific classification
Kingdom :
Animalia
Phylum :
Arthropoda
Class :
Insecta
Order :
Homoptera
Suborder :
Sternorrhyncha
Family :
Pseudococcidae

3. Morphological Features
Mealy bugs are sexually dimorphic
Females
- are nymphal
- exhibit reduced morphology
- and are wingless
Males
- Are winged
- do change completely during their lives
- exhibit a radical change during their life cycle
- changing from wingless, ovoid nymphs to "wasp-like" flying adults.

4. - Mealy bug females feed on plant sap
They attach themselves to the plant and secrete a powdery wax
layer used for protection
The males are short-lived
Ovulation
- Some species of mealy bug lay their eggs in the same waxy layer
- Other species are born directly from the female.
Vine mealy bug adult
female with egg mass.

5. Species include Pseudococcus viburni - Obscure mealy bug
Paracoccus marginatus - Papaya Mealy bug
Planococcus citri - Citrus mealy bug
Maconellicoccus hirsutus - pink hibiscus mealy bug
grape mealy bug
60 crops that can be affected by mealy bug (Pseudococcidae family) have been identified.
More than 200 species of mealy bug have been identified in Sri Lanka (Source Hayleys Agro official web site)

6. Papaya Mealy bug (Paracoccus marginatus)
Serious pest of many tropical and sub tropical fruits, vegetables,
and ornamental plants
The first discovery of P. marginatus in the United States was in
Florida in 1998
Native to Mexico and Central America
In 2008, first observed in the Western Province
It causes severe economic losses, health problems and habitat
destruction in many tropical and sub tropical plants

7. Dispersion Anuradhapura Kegalle Polonnaruwa Gampaha Ratnapura Colombo
Matara

8. Severely affected plant species
Carica papaya
Hibiscus spp.
Plumeria spp.
Acacia spp.
Annona squamosa
Ipomoea spp.
Manihot spp.
Mimosa pigra
Persea americana
Solanum melongena
Acalypha spp
Orchid spp.

9. Severely affected plant species cont.
Breadfruit
Jack
Manioc
Mango
Chillies
Brinjals
Citrus
Pineapple

10. Damage
The mealy bug injects a toxin as it feeds on leaves and fruit which results
- chlorosis (yellowing)
- stunting, deformation
- early leaf and fruit drop
- buildup of honeydew
- Sooty mold growing on honeydew excreted by the mealy bugs interferes with photosynthesis
- Heavy mealy bug infestations may kill plants

11. Life cycle of Papaya mealy bug
1st instar
2nd instar
3rd instar
4th instar
♀ days ♂
1-2 days
4 -7 days
2-3 days ♀
10-14 days
Common for Both ♂ and ♀
Adult
Egg

12. Attention

13. Safe solution for controlling
Mechanical and synthetic chemical control is not compatible
Difficult to find out local biological control agents
Need to find out more quick and safe solution

14. Biological Control - The tiny parasitic wasps Anagyrus loecki
Pseudleptomastix mexicana
Acerophagus papayae
- lady beetles lacewings
- provide excellent biological control of the papaya mealy bug
- Acerophagus papayae was decided to introduce to Sri Lanka

15. Government exported 50000 sample of Acerophagus papayae from USA
Taxonomy
Kingdom : Animalia
Phylum : Arthropoda
Class : Insecta
Order : Hymenoptera
Family : Chalcidoidea
Genus : Acerophagus
Scientific name : Acerophagus papayae

16. Parasitoid that feeds only on the Papaya Mealy bug
Belongs to the Bee family
Each female has an egg sac that contains eggs
Lays only about 100 to 200 eggs in each pest, and has
the ability to infest many
Other countries noted a 99% reduction of the Papaya
Mealy bug just three months after introducing the
parasitoid.