Pineapple mealybug

Adult pineapple mealybugs are very small, about 1 mm wide, but are visible to the naked eye. They appear fuzzy with white wax, with a pink or pink-orange hue underneath the wax. They are oval and appear humped. The ventral surface of the adult mealybug has 17 pairs of wax filaments along the edge. The pair at the posterior end of the insect is the longest.

Damage: The pineapple mealybug damages pineapple in several ways, all of which lower the market value of the fruit. Direct feeding damages the fruit, causing chlorotic areas (areas that cannot produce enough chlorophyll), rotted bottoms, and mealybug stripe (streaks of discoloration with underlying tissue collapse). Feeding by the pineapple mealybug can weaken the plant, increasing susceptibility to other pests and diseases. Black spot, caused by a fungus, is reported on pineapple fed upon by mealybugs. Black sooty mold and other molds commonly grow in areas exposed to a buildup of honeydew produced by mealybugs. The highest concern for pineapple growers is the pineapple mealybug often vectors Pineapple mealybug wilt-associated virus commonly referred to as pineapple wilt, mealybug wilt, or edge-wilt.