Mealybugs are characterized by which features?

Mealybugs are characterized by which features?

• A. White powdery growth
• B. Pear-shaped body
• C. On the underside of leaves
• D. White waxy coating and filaments

Answer: (D)

Mealybugs are identified by a white waxy coating that covers their soft bodies, often with filament-like wax extending from them. This waxy coating gives a cottony, fluffy look and helps protect the insects as they suck sap from the plant. The filaments are a distinctive feature you can notice even when the insect is small or partly hidden in plant crevices. White powdery growth, by contrast, is usually a fungus causing powdery mildew, not an insect covering. Being on the underside of leaves can occur with many pests, so it isn’t specific to mealybugs. Pear-shaped body describes some other pests and isn’t as diagnostic as the waxy coating plus filaments.

Mealybugs are identified by a white waxy coating that covers their soft bodies, often with filament-like wax extending from them. This waxy coating gives a cottony, fluffy look and helps protect the insects as they suck sap from the plant. The filaments are a distinctive feature you can notice even when the insect is small or partly hidden in plant crevices.

White powdery growth, by contrast, is usually a fungus causing powdery mildew, not an insect covering. Being on the underside of leaves can occur with many pests, so it isn’t specific to mealybugs. Pear-shaped body describes some other pests and isn’t as diagnostic as the waxy coating plus filaments.