By Adam Russell
High temperatures change how mealybugs feed, and that could help explain why some pasture mealybug infestations do far more damage than others, according to early findings from Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists.
The study, led by doctoral student Ashley Zavala in the lab of Thomas Chappell, Ph.D., an epidemiologist in the Texas A&M Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, focuses on mealybug feeding behaviors under a range of environmental conditions.
These findings could eventually help ranchers more precisely manage the invasive pest that continues to spread across Texas and impact native and regionally adapted improved grasses.
Pasture mealybug threatens forage, livestock production
Pasture mealybug was first confirmed in Texas in July 2025 and has since expanded to 114 counties across the state, according to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologists. It is a serious threat to the forage and grazing lands that support Texas’ $15.5 billion cattle industry and other pasture-based livestock operations.
The pest has also been reported in Florida, Georgia and Louisiana, and scientists are concerned it could impact other agricultural production, including sugarcane and rice.
Source : tamu.edu