Pink Hibiscus Mealybug

Scientific name: Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green)

Common name: Pink hibiscus mealybug

Native To: Asia (Roltsch et al. 2006)

Date of U.S. Introduction: 1984 in Hawaii; 1999 in California (Roltsch et al. 2006); 2002 in Florida (Hoy et al. 2006)

Images: Invasive.org and Google

Video: NTV Kenya - Mealy bug destroying farm fields (or click Play button below)

Means of Introduction: Unknown; possibly imported in cargo

Impact: Destroys crops and ornamental plants (Scalera 2006)

Current U.S. Distribution:

• National Agricultural Pest Information System - Pest Tracker - Reported Status
• Alien Forest Pest Explorer - Pest Distribution Map: Pink hibiscus mealybug (Oct 25, 2010; PDF | 988 KB)

Management Plans: Animals / Pink hibiscus mealybug

Selected Internet Resources:

• Federal Government
• State Government
• University/Academic
• International
• Organizations

Pink Hibiscus Mealybug - TEKTRAN database
USDA. Agricultural Research Service.
Research; Special Note: These are results from a search of USDA's TEKTRAN database. TEKTRAN includes summaries of recent research results from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service.

Maconellicoccus hirsutus Article Citation Search - AGRICOLA Database
USDA. National Agricultural Library.
Research; Special Note: NAL Catalog Search (resources)

The Pink Hibiscus Mealybug
USDA. APHIS. Plant Protection and Quarantine.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Life Cycle; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution; Controls; Special Note: Pink Hibiscus Mealybug - Program Aid No. 1605 (PDF | 269 KB) and Look Out For The Pink Hibiscus Mealybug - Program Aid No. 1606 (PDF | 766 KB) and Pest Alert: The Pink Hibiscus Mealybug (PDF | 208 KB)

Biological Control of Pink Hibiscus Mealybug
California Department of Food and Agriculture.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Life Cycle; Controls

Pest Alert: Pink Hibiscus Mealybug
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Controls

Pink Hibiscus Mealybug Alert
Broward County (Florida). Parks and Recreation.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts

Pink Hibiscus Mealybug
Texas Department of Agriculture.
Impacts; Distribution; Controls

Pink Hibiscus Mealybug - Featured Creatures
University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Published by: University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. / Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Distribution; Controls; Special Note: References

The Pink Hibiscus Mealybug (Mar 2006; PDF | 77 KB)
University of Florida. IFAS. Brevard County.
Identification/Description; Impacts

The Pink Hibiscus Mealybug
University of Florida. IFAS. Mid-Florida Research & Education Center.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Distribution; Controls; Special Note: PinkMealybug-L (listserve)

Pink Hibiscus Mealybug Alert
University of Florida. Cooperative Extension Service. Broward County Extension Education Division.
Identification/Description; Photographs

Pink Hibiscus Mealybug (Aug 2006; PDF | 1 MB)
University of Florida. IFAS. Miami-Dade County.
Identification/Description; Photographs; Impacts; Controls

Maconellicoccus hirsutus - Invasive Species Compendium
Centre for Agricultural Bioscience International (CABI).
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Maconellicoccus hirsutus (PDF | 347 KB)
Caribbean Pest Information Network.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Life Cycle; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Maconellicoccus hirsutus - Data Sheets on Quarantine Pests (PDF | 75 KB)
European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Impacts; Life Cycle; Distribution; Dispersion; Controls

Maconellicoccus hirsutus (insect) - ISSG Global Invasive Species Database
World Conservation Union. Invasive Species Specialist Group.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Pink Hibiscus Mealybug
Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center.
Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Distribution

Current Status of Pink Hibiscus Mealybug in Puerto Rico Including a Key to Parasitoid Species (PDF | 97 KB)
Florida Center for Library Automation.
Published by: Florida Entomological Society.
Distribution; Research

Maconellicoccus hirsutus
TexasInvasives.org.
Taxonomy; Identification/Description; Photographs; Introduction History; Impacts; Life Cycle; Habitat; Distribution; Controls

Citations

Hoy, M.A., A. Hamon, and R. Nguyen. 2006. Featured Creatures: pink hibiscus mealybug. University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Roltsch, W.J., D.E. Meyerdirk, R. Warkentin, E.R. Andress, and K. Carrera. 2006. Classical biological control of the pink hibiscus mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus (Green), in southern California (PDF | 502 KB). Biological control: theory and application in pest management. 2006 May, v. 37, issue 2, p. 155-166.

Scalera, S. 2006. Pink Hibiscus Mealybug (PDF | 77 KB). University of Florida. Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Fact Sheet #FS 6068 HORT.