The Florida Department of Agriculture announced the detection of pink hibiscus mealybug on two hibiscus plants at a residence in Broward County. This is the first confirmed report in Florida and the first in the United States since an outbreak in southern California in August 1999.
The pink hibiscus mealybug occurs in most tropical areas of the world. It attacks more than 200 plant species, including many found in Florida, such as hibiscus and other nursery plants, citrus, guava, mango, avocado, tomato, cucumbers and peppers.
Since the detection was confirmed, the Florida Nurserymen & Growers Association (FNGA) has been in constant contact with the FDACS Division of Plant Industry (DPI) in Gainesville, as well as the USDA Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in Washington, D.C. The three organizations, in addition to the American Nursery & Landscape Association, are currently expediting the USDA’s release and shipment of the biological control insect Anagyrus kamali, which has been proven successful in combating pink hibiscus mealybug, from its rearing facility in Puerto Rico. The wasp-like insect is host-specific attacking only the pink hibiscus mealybug and is not harmful to people, animals or other plants.
If you think you may have pink hibiscus mealybug, contact your DPI inspector immediately or the DPI helpline at 888/397-1517. More information also can be found at:
http://doacs.state.fl.us/~pi/enpp/ento/pink.htm, http://aphisweb.aphis.usda.gov/oa/mealybug.html, http://www.mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/lso/pestalert.htm and http://www.mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/lso/mealybugs.htm.
The author is Managing Editor of Lawn & Landscape magazine and can be reached at nwisniewski@lawnandlandscape.com.