Tag: Pasture Mealybug

Pasture Mealybug

by Jackie Lebouitz
October 30, 2026

Background In May of 2026, Heliococcus novovillei, also known as pasture mealybug, was detected in a limpograss field in St. Lucie County. This new and invasive pest had shown up in Texas in October 2025, but its detection this past May ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Invasive Species, Lawn, Livestock, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Cattle, Forage, Grass, Insect, Invasive, Invasive Species, IPM, Mealybug, Pasture, Pasture Mealybug, Pest, Pgm_Ag, Pgm_Chemicals, Turf
Photo by UF/IFAS photographer Suzie Linn shows a closeup of a pasture mealybug on sugarcane in Florida.

UF researchers secure USDA-NIFA Rapid Response grant to address pasture mealybug invading Florida sugarcane

by Lourdes Mederos
October 29, 2026

University of Florida researchers have secured $200,000 in federal funding to combat the invasive pasture mealybug, an emerging threat to Florida’s sugarcane industry. The funding will give researchers the necessary funds to help growers ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Everglades Research And Education Center, Grant, Pasture Mealybug, Rapid-response, Sugarcane, Top News, U.S. Department Of Agriculture’s National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension Palm Beach County
Invasive apple snail eggs grow a few inches above the water. The LSU AgCenter Mississippi River Invasive Species Consortium will be a regional hub for research and outreach on detecting, identifying and managing invasive and non-native pest species like the apple snail. LSU AgCenter file photo

Academic invasion science innovations protect ecosystems, agriculture in U.S. South

by Lourdes Mederos
September 30, 2026

From flesh-eating screwworm flies threatening livestock and wildlife to spotted lanternflies swarming cities, mealybugs damaging crops, invasive plants choking waterways and Burmese pythons disrupting native ecosystems, invasive species are ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Apple Sails, Asian Longhorned Tick, Invasion Science Institute, Invasive Species, New World Screwworm, Pasture Mealybug, Rice Stink Bug, Top News, Yellow-legged Hornet
Adult pasture mealybug on leaf blade

Pasture Mealybug: What We Know So Far and Resources Available

by Marcelo Wallau
August 20, 2026

What producers, land managers, and forage professionals need to know as Florida’s response takes shape.  At a glance. The pasture mealybug was first detected in Florida in May 2026; it has now been reported in 22 Florida counties, including ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Forages, Panhandle Agriculture, Pasture Mealybug, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension

What makes pastures more susceptible to pasture mealybugs?

by Marcelo Wallau
August 18, 2026

Authored by: Marcelo Wallau, UF/IFAS Forage Extension Specialist  Niguss Hailegnaw, UF/IFAS Assistant Professor of Crop Nutrient Management at the Everglades Research and Education Center  Pasture mealybug (PMB) is expanding across ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agronomy, Forages, Panhandle Agriculture, Pasture Mealybug, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research

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