Cryptic mealybug

Pseudococcus cryptus

Soft, oval-bodied insects that are pale yellow to greenish yellow in colour, with a thick wax covering the entire body. They:

• are 1–3 mm in size
• have piercing mouthparts that they insert into the plant.

Yellowish eggs are laid in an egg sac resembling a white cottony mass, behind the female. Females can lay between 300–600 eggs, which take 3 to 6 days to hatch, depending on temperature. Male cryptic mealybugs live for 2 to 4 days after pupation. Adult females live for an average of 87.6 days as adults.

Cryptic mealybug is found in parts of Asia.

In Queensland, cryptic mealybugs have been found on islands in the Torres Strait and at a number of places in North Queensland, including Cairns.

Wind is a major factor in the spread of cryptic mealybugs, as well as the transportation of contaminated fruit and plant material.

Avocado, banana, citrus, coconut, coffee, mango, passionfruit, pineapple and ornamental plants.

Mealybugs are pests of economic importance for a wide range of hosts (see hosts listed above). They can cause damage to crops, making the crop unsuitable for market.

Symptoms include:

• leaf distortion
• twisting shoots
• white residue
• sooty mould fungus

To prevent the spread of mealybugs, you should:

• always use clean planting material
• avoid sharing machinery and equipment with other gardeners unless it has been correctly cleaned down
• practice good hygiene measures by ensuring shoes, clothing, equipment (including cutting tools), machinery and vehicles are clean and free of soil and plant material before and after use.