How Do Mealybugs Destroy Plants?

Mealybugs get their name from the whitish wax that cover their oval, segmented bodies. This wax minimizes the loss of water from their soft bodies. Mealybugs can kill plants if infestations are not controlled.

Consumption

Mealybugs eat by piercing their mouth parts into plant tissue and sucking the plant fluids. They also secrete toxic saliva into the plant tissue. The leaves turn yellow, become distorted and sometimes even fall off the plant. Mealybugs weaken plants, stunt plant growth and kill severely infested plants.

Excretion

Like whiteflies and aphids, mealybugs produce a sticky waste product known as honeydew, which covers plant surfaces. Honeydew provides the optimum growth conditions for a black fungus often called sooty mold. This mold covers leaves and blocks light so the plant can't properly carry out photosynthesis.

Reproduction

When some species of female mealybugs lay eggs, they produce cottony secretions to serve as egg sacs. These secretions contaminate plant parts that come into contact with them and ruin the plant's appearance.

References

• UNH Cooperative Extension: Mealybug
• University of Minnesota: Citrus Mealybug
• UC IPM: Mealybugs on Grape