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How to identify it
- Adult females are about 3 mm (0.12 inch) long and oval to nearly round, rounder than other pinkish mealybugs, with no wax filaments along the sides and no egg sac.[1]
- They make large amounts of cottony wax and feed in clusters at the nodes of leaves and stems; the insects themselves may not show until the wax is pulled away.[1]
- A pierced female releases reddish body fluid.[1]
- Confirming the species takes a microscope slide: it has three circuli (small structures on the underside thought to help it cling), while related Hypogeococcus species and pink hibiscus mealybug have one.[1][2]
Look-alikes
| Look-alike | How to tell them apart |
|---|---|
| Pink hibiscus mealybug (Maconellicoccus hirsutus) | Also pinkish and sometimes confused with it in the field, but it attacks a much wider range of plants and has one circulus instead of three.[1] |
| Hypogeococcus margaretae | A native Florida relative known only from hatpin plant (Eriocaulon decangulare) in St. Lucie and Indian River counties.[1] |
Where it lives
It is native to South America and has been reported from the Caribbean, Europe, North America and Australia, where it was introduced to control cacti. In the United States it was found in Florida in 1984, where it was known from more than two dozen counties by 2009, and in Hawaii in 2005; ScaleNet also lists California.[1][2]
Biology and life cycle
Little is known of its life history. It lives on roots as well as on leaves and stems, and it has been intercepted on cactus roots.[1][2]
Its host range is narrow for a mealybug: globe amaranth, Achyranthes, Alternanthera species such as khaki weed and joyweed, purslane and other Portulaca, and cacti including Cereus, Eriocereus, Harrisia and Parodia.[1]
What goes by this name is probably more than one species. Mealybugs from Amaranthaceae plants in Argentina failed to produce a second generation on cacti in the lab, and the cactus pest in Puerto Rico causes galls while the Argentine cactus feeders do not, so the Puerto Rico pest may be a separate species.[2]
Damage and signs
- In Florida it has little economic importance, and large populations are rare. It could matter where it reaches rare or native cacti, especially kinds that reproduce mainly from seed.[1]
- In Puerto Rico it is causing severe damage to several native columnar cacti, and ScaleNet warns that if this pest spreads, cacti across the Caribbean and North America, including Mexico, would be at risk.[2]
- Because of its narrow host range, it was released to control weedy cacti in Australia and South Africa, with success in both countries. In South Africa it held back one weedy cactus by stopping it from flowering and fruiting.[1][2]
Health risk
The sources treat it only as a plant pest; none mentions bites or any risk to people or pets.[1][2]
Control
Biological control
Natural enemies often keep mealybugs in check. The mealybug destroyer lady beetle feeds on many mealybug species, and an Exochomus lady beetle has been seen feeding on this one.[1]
Pesticides
Horticultural oil can control mealybugs, but oil and other pesticides also harm the natural enemies that help control it.[1]
When to call a professional
Confirm the identification before acting, since it is easily confused with other mealybugs. In Florida, submit samples, and report any unusual damage or hosts, through your county Extension office or the UF/IFAS insect identification services.[1]
Common questions
- What is the pink, cottony mealybug on my purslane?
- In Florida, heavy infestations of pink mealybugs on purslane (Portulaca) and Alternanthera are frequently this species. Look for round, pinkish mealybugs hidden in cottony wax at the leaf and stem nodes.[1]
- Will it kill my cactus?
- It is rarely found on cacti in Florida and is of little economic importance there. The serious cactus damage is in Puerto Rico, where the cactus-feeding form may be a different species.[1][2]
Sources
- University of Florida IFAS Extension (EDIS Featured Creatures), “Hypogeococcus pungens Granara de Willink (Insecta: Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), a Mealybug (EENY 459, 2009).” journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/118046 (accessed 2026-11-09)
- ScaleNet (scale insect database begun at the USDA ARS Systematic Entomology Laboratory), “ScaleNet catalogue: Hypogeococcus pungens Granara de Willink.” scalenet.info/catalogue/Hypogeococcus%20pungens/ (accessed 2026-11-09)
- iNaturalist, “Hypogeococcus pungens taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/208532 (accessed 2026-11-09)