Without the nutrients from the sap, your plant can’t go into its’ photosynthesis process. It’s like the blood in your body, carrying all the important stuff throughout your body. The sap carries all this from the roots to the rest of the plant. The phloem carries important nutrients your plant acquires. Inside the sap with xylem cells is the water and hydration your roots absorbed. The sap also rides inside phloem sieve tube elements as it’s transported around. The sap inside your plant is the fluid that moves through your plant by riding on xylem cells. Second, all mealybugs suck the sap out of plants. This creates a cluster of bugs, making them easy to spot. But they all have two things in common.įirst, they feed in clusters. They don’t need another mealybug to create and lay eggs.ĭifferent species of mealybugs attack your plant in a different area. Then they release the crawlers.Īfter five days, the longtailed females will die as well. Instead, the eggs hatch as soon as they’re laid by the female longtailed mealybug. The long-tailed mealybug (or the Pseudococcus longispinus) doesn’t lay eggs at all. That’s a lot of mealybugs looking for food. They’re very vulnerable at this state.Ī group of mealybugs will go through two to five generations in only a year. If they go a full 24 hours without feeding, they will die. They take four to eight weeks to grow into its’ adult form. The nymphs also sneak away to find a place to feed. During this phase, they won’t leave their feeding area. The new crawlers move on to tight spaces to feed off a plant. ![]() They’re trying to hide the eggs from predators.įive days after the female mealybug lays the eggs, the female will die.Ī week to two weeks after the mealybug lays the eggs, they hatch. The female spins the fluffy material around the eggs for protection. They’re difficult to see with the naked eye. These eggs are about 1/100 of an inch in size. These eggs are usually covered in that cotton-like substance you see on the bugs.įor example, female citrus mealybugs can lay up to 600 yellow eggs. But the sizes can differ from species to species. Most mealybug species lay eggs to reproduce. But their favorite plants are succulents. These bugs are attracted to several types of plants including gardenias. Other mealybug species include: grape mealybugs, longtailed mealybugs, obscure mealybugs, and vine mealybugs. They’re also the most common mealybug found in household plants. The most common species is the citrus mealybug, also known as Planococcus citri. There are 275 different mealybug species in the United States. And they don’t have wings like their male counterparts. They only live for about two to three days.įemale mealybugs are round and wider than males. Their only purpose is to fertilize the female mealybugs. ![]() It’s rare to see male mealybugs on a plant. Male mealybugs are oval and they do have wings. It can confuse people when they’re trying to see if their plant has these pests. This makes it seem like they have double the legs, like an optical illusion. This cotton-like material stops them from losing moisture. And they’re covered in a cotton-like material according to the University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources. They’re soft-bodied with a waxy appearance.
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