Grape > Year-Round IPM Program > Bloom > Identifying Mealybugs

Grape

Identifying Mealybugs

Grape and obscure mealybugs closely resemble each other. You can distinguish them in the field by poking a female with a sharp point (without puncturing the body) to elicit the release of a defensive excretion. If the color of the fluid excreted is reddish orange, then it is most likely grape mealybug; if it is clear, it is most likely obscure mealybug.

Use the photos below to identify the various mealybug species. Pseudococcus includes grape, obscure, and longtail mealybug; the genus has parallel sides, rounded posterior and anterior ends, and the filaments around the body are thin and long.  Also look for vine mealybug (shown below), a Planococcus mealybug that is more oval than Pseudococcus mealybug. Names link to more information on identification and management.

Also view photos of natural enemies of Pseudococcus mealybug.

Click on photos to enlarge

Grape mealybug	Obscure mealybug
Grape mealybug Identification tip: The fluid that exudes from a punctured female grape mealybug tends to be orange to red.	The fluid that exudes from the obscure mealybug after being punctured tends to be yellow to clear.
Vine mealybug Identification tip: The body shape is oblong. The waxy filaments that protrude from the body of the vine mealybug are shorter and appear thicker or stubbier than those on the Pseudococcus mealybug. The vine mealybug does not possess long tail filaments.	Longtailed mealybug Identification tip: Longtailed mealybugs are similar in appearance to the grape and obscure species, but have much longer waxy filaments on the posterior end—as long or longer than the body of the adult female.