AREA PRODUCERS WARNED ABOUT NEW INVASIVE PEST

  

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is alerting producers about a new pest that is said to be “highly damaging” and has been confirmed in local and area counties.

The pasture mealybug (Helicococcus summervillei) was first described in Australia in 1928 and has never before been reported in North America.  Miller said it is already causing significant damage to pasture acreage across Texas, with an estimated impact area of 20 counties, including Austin, Brazos, Burleson, Colorado, Fayette and Washington counties.

According to Miller, the pasture mealybug causes “pasture dieback”, leaving expanding patches of yellowing, weakened and ultimately dead turf.  Researchers with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service say while adults do not feed, the nymphs suck plant sap, and the saliva they inject is toxic to the grass, which can lead to secondary infections by plant pathogens. 

Miller said the pest reproduces rapidly, and there is currently no known effective labeled insecticide.  Research is underway to discover what the best management options are. 

Affected plants include Bermudagrass, Bahia grass, Johnsongrass, hay grazer (sorghum-sudangrass), St. Augustine grass, various bluestem species, and other tropical or subtropical grasses.  Damage can occur in leaves, stems and roots. 

Symptoms of infested grass can include yellowing and discoloration of leaves within a week, purpling or reddening of foliage, stunted growth and drought stress despite rainfall, poorly developed root symptoms, dieback starting at the leaf tips and progressing downward, and premature aging.

Producers are encouraged to scout regularly for mealybugs, which are 2 to 5 millimeters long as adults – less than a millimeter long as nymphs – and are an oval shape with a white, waxy coat.  Some older adults have fine hair.  While there is not a standardized method of scouting for the pests, they can be found on grass leaves, at the base of plants, over or below the soil, in leaf litter and below cow patties.  A focus should be kept on unmanaged areas such as fence lines, ungrazed patches and roadsides. 

Miller said the Texas Department of Agriculture is working closely with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services to coordinate a rapid response and protect Texas producers.

Anyone who detects suspicious insects or symptoms is urged to report them to the Texas Department of Agriculture at 1-800-TELL-TDA.