MEALY BUG

Scientific Name: Ferrisia virgata(Cockerell)

Family:Coccidae

Order: Homoptera                      

Common name: Grey /striped white tailed

Mealy bugs are small, Soft-bodied insects attacking fruits and their stalk on pomegranate plant. Both nymphs and adults caused considerable damage to pomegranate by sucking the sap from the leaves, flowers and fruits, which resulted in yellowing of leaves and shedding of flowers and tender fruits. The market value of such fruits reduced.considerably Ferrisia virgata (striped mealybug) is pan tropical in distribution and is found  all over the Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia. It is polyphagous and has a very wide range of host plants. It is found throughout the year, though it is less active during  winter. 

 

Appearance:

Adult females are apterous, long, and slender covered with white waxy secretions, pair wax filaments at caudal end. Nymph is Yellowish to pale white.

Mealy bug infestation on fruit

Infestation on leaves

Life cycle:

The females lay 300-400 eggs, which hatch in a few hours, and the young nymphs move away quite rapidly.The nymphs  are full grown in about 6weeks.. Incubation period is 15 minutes to 4 hours and the immature stages may last for about 20-60 days in  case of male and 19- 47 days in case of females. Longevity of males is 1-3 days while the females live for 5-7 weeks. The entire  life cycle takes about 40 days. In dry weather this insect may move down below ground and inhabit the roots. 

Nature of damage:

Nymphs and adults suck sap from the leaves and tender shoots and lay eggs into the soil remain dormant till the   next  bahar after hatching during next bahar attack the plants

Damage symptoms:

Leaves show curling symptoms.A heavy black sooty mould may develop on the honeydew like droplets which in turn hinders the photosynthetic activity of the plant resulting in stunted growth. The infestation may lead to fruit drop.