mealybug
1
8.2
- noun
- /ˈmiːliˌbʌɡ/
- Specialized
:
cochinilla harinosa
- The "cattle" for the Acropyga are small, white mealybugs that feed on the underground roots of various plants.
- white mealybug
- small mealybug
- ants and mealybugs
Examples
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Many other ant species, in genera other than Acropyga, gather honeydew from insects such as mealybugs and aphids.
Academic text (2006) -
At the bottom of the image, a "herd" of mealybugs congregates near a plant root.
Academic text (2006) -
"When I put it on, there were a lot of mealybugs on the vines.
Academic text (2000) -
Biologists think ants and their mealybug "cattle" may have co-evolved.
Academic text (2006) -
The mealybug will proliferate into a herd that will sustain the queen's progeny.
Academic text (2006) -
Finding and identifying the mealybugs that live with Acropyga is the first step in understanding the organisms' complex symbiotic relationship.
Academic text (2006) -
The intimate and ancient relationship between Acropyga ants and mealybugs offers biologists a chance to study the evolution of a complex kind of symbiosis.
Academic text (2006) -
The gardener noticed that mealybugs were damaging his citrus plants, so he applied an insecticide.
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To keep your garden healthy, inspect for mealybugs regularly, as they can quickly multiply and harm your plants.
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She discovered mealybugs on her houseplants and knew she needed to act fast to save them.
Synonyms
1
6.4
A small insect with a white, cottony covering that eats and harms plants
A small insect that eats the sap of plants and damages citrus trees
A small white insect that eats citrus and other garden plants and harms them
A small insect that feeds on the juice of orange and lemon trees and damages them
A small white insect that feeds on the sap of citrus and apple trees and damages them
A small soft insect that sucks sap from plants and harms crops
Compounds
- Specialized
A small insect that feeds on the juice of orange and lemon trees and damages them
- Specialized
A small white insect that feeds on the sap of citrus and apple trees and damages them
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Mealybug comes from the old word mealy, from 'meal' meaning 'fine flour', and bug meaning 'insect'. So a mealybug is an insect that looks powdery or is covered in white, flour-like wax, which explains its name.