Mango Mealybug vs Steelblue Ladybird
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Mango Mealybug | Steelblue Ladybird |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Drosicha mangiferae | Halmus chalybeus |
| Order | Hemiptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Monophlebidae | Coccinellidae |
| Size | 8-15 mm (females) | 3-4 mm |
| Habitat | Orchards | Orchards |
| Diet | Sap Feeders | Predators |
| Regions | South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal) | Australia, New Zealand |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Mango Mealybug
A large, soft-bodied mealybug covered in white waxy secretions that infests mango trees. Nymphs crawl up mango trunks in huge numbers during winter, clustering on tender shoots and flowers to suck sap.
Did You Know?
Banding mango tree trunks with sticky tape or polythene sheets is a traditional control method that traps the crawling nymphs.
Steelblue Ladybird
A small metallic blue-green ladybird native to Australia. It is an important predator of scale insects on citrus and eucalyptus trees.
Did You Know?
Its iridescent blue coloration is unique among ladybirds and is caused by multilayer cuticle structures.