By Adam Russell
As Texas producers come to grips with the threat of New World screwworm, another new invasive pest — pasture mealybug — is casting a growing shadow over the state’s forage and livestock industries, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
The pasture mealybug continues to spread rapidly across Texas, threatening pastures, hayfields and forage resources that underpin the state’s $15.5 billion cattle industry as well as the state’s other pasture-based livestock industries.
AgriLife Extension entomologists first confirmed the pest in Texas in 2025. The insect has been confirmed in 70 Texas counties so far. The insect feeds on a wide range of native and improved warm-season grasses, including Bermuda grass, Bahia grass, bluestems, johnsongrass and other important forage species.
Immature mealybugs feed on plant sap and inject toxins that weaken plants, often resulting in a condition known as pasture dieback. In severe cases, fields can turn brown, thin dramatically or die outright.
David Kerns, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension statewide integrated pest management coordinator and associate department head in the Texas A&M Department of Entomology, Bryan-College Station, said the pest’s distribution continues to expand at an alarming pace.
Source : tamu.edu