Pest identification and confirmation—Mealybugs
Woolly aphids, adelgids, whiteflies, and cottony cushion scales may sometimes be confused with mealybugs
because they also produce a whitish, waxy material. The white, fluted egg sac of cottony cushion scales
erupts from the female's body, which is usually bright orange, red, yellow, or brownish. Underneath the
loose, cottony, waxy covering, the bodies of most aphids and adelgids appear pear shaped. Some of the
aphids or adelgids in a colony may have wings, but only male mealybugs and scales have wings and males
are rarely seen. Male mealybugs are tiny and delicate; the body is commonly yellow or red with two long
whitish tail filaments. |
 Woolly
apple aphid |
 Cottony
cushion scale |
 Mealybug |
 Adelgid
adult |
|
