What Are Mealybugs And How To Identify Them?
The mealybug, in general, looks whitish due to wax deposits on its body. The body size also looks great due to wax. In case of severe infestation, it occurs in form of clusters with white cottony crawler sacs protruding from their body from the anal margin. Thus, unspecified protective layers are formed due to the overlapping and clinging of one mealybug over the other. As a sucking pest, it feeds on cell sap. It prefers tender shoots and leaves of cotton for feeding and multiplication. Its population increases tremendously and, soon, a colony is developed. Mature females are relatively sessile with a large, outpocketing cottony pouch from posterior anal end, stuffed with its off springs called crawlers. The young crawlers are capable of movement and getting food. It has been observed that the embryonic development of the young ones takes place within the body of the female. It gives birth to young ones instead of laying eggs, commonly known as “ovoviviparity”. The mature and its young
