Verdia · Library
Scale insects and mealybugs
Record shell-like bumps, white wax and sticky residue, and see how Verdia routes Planococcus, Coccus and 20 more genera to scale insects and mealybugs.
How the app routes these names
Mealybugs and scale insects share one group in Verdia, with 22 genera. Mealybug genera include Pseudococcus, Planococcus, Phenacoccus and Rhizoecus; scale genera include Coccus, Saissetia, Ceroplastes, Aspidiotus, Icerya and Lepidosaphes. The keywords pseudococcidae, coccidae, diaspididae, coccoidea and coccomorpha are searched when no genus matches.
Sharing a group does not mean the insects are alike: scale insects and mealybugs have different forms and life cycles.
Other candidates appear in the result list from 3 percent upward. A mealybug name at 53 percent with a soft scale name at 9 percent below it still leads to this one group, because both genera share it.
What to write down
- Record shell-like bumps, white waxy material and sticky residue.
- Note their positions, on stems or on leaf undersides.
- Inspect nearby indoor plants and keep a dated record for each.
- Photograph a close view of one cluster and then the whole stem it sits on.
Reading a Planococcus result
A top result of Planococcus citri at 53 percent matches the genus planococcus. This page repeats one of the app's three steps: keeping the plant away from your others until it is clean. The other two involve alcohol and oil treatments and are held back.
- Name returned
- Planococcus citri
- Top score
- 53%
- Rule that matched
- genus planococcus
- Scale and mealybug steps shown here
- 1 of 3
If the name returned were only Pseudococcidae, the keyword rule would send it to the same group.
Common mistakes
- Checking only the affected plant and not its neighbours.
- Leaving an affected plant among others while guidance is checked.
- Recording white wax without noting where on the plant it sits.
- Treating mealybugs and scale insects as one insect because the app groups them.
Scope
The label routes general steps and does not confirm the insect. The RHS pages on scale insects and mealybug and the University of Minnesota Extension guide listed below describe them; the ASPCA list covers pet safety.
Primary references
- www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/scale-insects
- www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/mealybug
- extension.umn.edu/garden-and-home/yard-and-garden/yard-and-garden-insects/insects-on-indoor-plants
- www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-02/documents/garden.pdf
- www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants