Striped Mealybug

📖 Description

Striped Mealybug is a polyphagous pest of fruit trees, cotton and vegetables across the Indian subcontinent, particularly damaging in guava orchards of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, and in cotton belts of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Punjab. The characteristic two dark stripes distinguish it from other mealybugs. The pest prefers tender flush and fruit clusters, where copious honeydew promotes sooty mold that downgrades fruit. Like other mealybugs, F. virgata is tended by ants which protect it from natural enemies and facilitate dispersal between plants. Classical biological control with Cryptolaemus montrouzieri and conservation of native parasitoids (Anagyrus, Leptomastix) form the backbone of sustainable management. The pest is also a vector of several plant viruses in cocoa and citrus, making its control critical in mixed-cropping systems. Quarantine of nursery stock is essential — most new infestations originate from infested planting material.