Mealy bugs
- Kondinin
Ben Whisson (ConsultAg) recently found mealy bugs on a tillering barley crop near Kondinin.
Mealy bugs are tiny sap-sucking pests that generally have a broad host range. When viewed under magnification they have a soft, oval, convex and segmented body with no distinction between head, thorax or abdomen. They are covered in white wax and have a fringe of marginal filaments which can look like extra legs. They are generally suited to warm and humid conditions and do best in glasshouses and on indoor plants where they are more commonly known.
Mealy bugs are generally uncommon in broadacre farming although they have been found on cereals in previous seasons. They have been known to generate into moderate numbers on volunteer plants prior to crops being sown in early autumn and then transfer across onto newly established crops. They are not considered a serious problem to crops but have been recorded as doing some damage in the heads of barley.
For more information refer to DPIRD’s Aphids, mealy bugs and scales page.
For more information contact Research scientist Svetlana Micic, Albany on +61 (0)8 9892 8591.
Article author: Cindy Webster (DPIRD Narrogin).