Pasture mealybug raises alarm for Texas livestock producers
MALE AND FEMALE pasture mealybugs are pictured side by side on blades of grass. Pasture mealybugs are expanding rapidly and damaging pastures in a growing number of Texas counties. The aerial view shows the devastation these insects can create, with the left side Bahia grass stand devastated by the pest next to a newly infested, yet still green pasture. Photo courtesy of Hannah Harrison/ Texas A&M AgriLife
As Texas producers come to grips with the threat of New World screwworm, another new invasive pest -- pasture mealybug -- is casting a growing shadow over the state’s forage and livestock industries, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts. The pasture mealybug continues to spread rapidly across Texas, threatening pastures, hayfields and forage resources that underpin the sta…
