Pasture Mealybug: A New Threat for Pasture Grass, Turfgrass, and Sugarcane in Florida

The pasture mealybug (Heliococcus summervillei Brookes) (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae), a pest now found in Florida, can cause severe dieback of grasses. It was first reported in the continental US in Texas in October 2025, though researchers suspect it arrived before 2022. In Texas, it was found on many grasses, including bermudagrass, bahiagrass, and johnsongrass. Along with pasture and turfgrass, it has emerged as an important pest of sugarcane, spreading from Texas to Louisiana. In Florida, it was first reported in late May 2026 on limpograss in the southeastern part of the state. As of June 19, 2026, surveys confirmed the mealybug in 15 Florida counties including: Brevard, Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Indian River, Lee, Martin, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Polk, and St. Lucie. The most damage has been observed on limpograss and sugarcane, but several other grasses are affected, including bahiagrass and bermudagrass.