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Family: Pseudococcidae (mealybugs)
Life
> Eukaryotes >
Opisthokonta >
Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa
> Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra > Phylum:
Arthopoda > Mandibulata >
Atelocerata > Panhexapoda >
Hexapoda
> Insecta (insects) > Dicondyla > Pterygota >
Metapterygota > Neoptera > Eumetabola > Paraneoptera > Condylognatha
> Hemiptera (bugs) >
Sternorryncha
> Superfamily:
Coccoidea
 Argentine ants Linepithema humile tending mealybugs for honeydew. |
Mealybugs are plant suckers and are serious pests of many agricultural crops as well as
being bothersome to the gardener. They have a pink appearance and are covered by powdery
'mealy'-like wax. Like many other bugs, they produce a sugary substance called honeydew
that is attractive to ants. The ants patrol the bugs and in doing so scare away predators
and parasitoids thus benefiting the bugs.
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