Pest profile

Rhodesgrass Mealybug

Antonina graminis · Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae[3]

Rhodesgrass mealybugs feed on sap beneath leaf sheaths and in the crowns of warm-season grasses, causing discolored, wilting turf.[1]

No licensed photo of this species is available yet; the identification notes below describe what to look for.

How to identify it

  • Adults are noticed by their white, fluffy waxy covers and long wax filaments.[1]
  • They produce lots of honeydew, which grows sooty mold and draws ants, including fire ants.[1]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Bermudagrass scaleA tiny white, clam-shaped armored scale rather than a fluffy mealybug.[1]
Ground pearlsFeed on roots inside hard, round white or tan 'pearls' in the soil.[1]

Where it lives

It's an infrequent lawn pest mostly in South Carolina's Sandhills and Coastal Plain.[1]

US map: public records from 3 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

There are multiple generations a year, with eggs hatching from spring through fall.[1]

Nymphs and adults feed with piercing-sucking mouthparts at stem nodes and the base of stems.[1]

Damage and signs

  • Damage is worse in summer heat and drought, especially in sunny areas; severely stressed patches may die.[1]
  • It mainly attacks St. Augustinegrass, bermudagrass and centipedegrass.[1]

Health risk

It feeds on plants; Clemson HGIC mentions no risk to people.[1]

Control

Prevention

Keep turf healthy with proper mowing, soil-test-based fertilizing and morning watering during dry spells.[1]

Pesticides

A combined systemic and contact insecticide, or an imidacloprid spray during crawler activity, works best.[1]

More from NC State Extension

Bermudagrass, St. Augustinegrass, tall fescue and centipedegrass can all be seriously injured, and damage is usually worst in sunny spots during hot, dry spells.[2]

Common questions

What is the white fluff at the base of my St. Augustinegrass?
It may be rhodesgrass mealybug wax, often tended by fire ants.[1]
Why are fire ants gathering in one part of my lawn?
Fire ants feed on the honeydew rhodesgrass mealybugs produce.[1]

Sources

  1. Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center, “Bermudagrass Scale, Rhodesgrass Mealybug and Ground Pearl (HGIC 2157).” hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/bermudagrass-scale-rhodesgrass-mealybug-ground-pearl/ (accessed 2026-10-06)
  2. NC State Extension, “Rhodesgrass Mealybugs in Turf.” content.ces.ncsu.edu/rhodesgrass-mealybug-in-turf (accessed 2026-10-15)
  3. iNaturalist, “Antonina graminis taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/128772 (accessed 2026-10-06)

Updated 2026-10-15. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.