mealybug
Definition
Noun: 1. A small, sap-sucking insect: A mealybug is a type of soft-bodied insect that feeds on plant juices. It is characterized by a protective, powdery or mealy white wax coating that covers its body. These insects are considered significant pests, particularly damaging to fruit trees and ornamental plants.
Usage Examples
- The lemon tree was infested with mealybugs, which were clustered on the stems and undersides of the leaves.
- To control the mealybug population, the gardener introduced ladybugs, which are natural predators.
- A common sign of a mealybug problem is the presence of sticky honeydew and sooty mold on the plant.
Advanced Usage
- Collective noun: The term is often used in the plural form ("mealybugs") to refer to an infestation or population.
- The greenhouse had a serious outbreak of mealybugs.
- In scientific or agricultural contexts, "mealybug" specifies insects belonging to the family within the order Hemiptera.
Variants and Related Words
- Mealy bug (less common spelling): An alternative spelling of the same word.
- Cochineal insect (): A specific type of scale insect, related to mealybugs, known for producing a red dye.
- Scale insect: A broader category of small, sap-sucking insects that includes mealybugs. All mealybugs are scale insects, but not all scale insects are mealybugs.
Synonyms
- Pseudococcid (scientific term)
- Plant louse (general, informal term for sap-sucking pests)
Related Phrases
- Mealybug destroyer (): The common name for a species of ladybird beetle specifically used as a biological control agent against mealybugs.
- We released mealybug destroyers to manage the infestation organically.
Noun
-
scalelike plant-eating insect coated with a powdery waxy secretion; destructive especially of fruit trees
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