Citrus mealybug parasitoid for citrus mealybug
This is the one mealybug the wasp is known for. UC Pest Notes say it kills only citrus mealybug, and UC credits it with control in greenhouses alongside the mealybug destroyer. The major suppliers no longer list it, so the practical step is to recognise it. Look for oblong, crusty, barrel-shaped mummies with an exit hole at one end. Where you find them, hold off broad-spectrum sprays and keep ants off the plant.
Before you act
A specialist wasp of citrus mealybug. It was once sold for release in greenhouses, citrus groves and interiorscapes, but none of the major suppliers checked list it now. Look for its mummies in colonies and protect it. How to recognise it, what it is confused with and how to keep it around are on the full Citrus mealybug parasitoid profile.
Other controls for citrus mealybug
- Cryptolaemus montrouzieriPredatory lady beetle · 5 beetles per infested plant, or 2–10 /m² per release across a bench
- Chrysoperla carneaGreen lacewing larvae · 2–20 /m² per release, weekly
- Anagyrus vladimiriParasitoid wasp · 0.1–0.5 per 10 ft² (1 m²) per release, at least three releases 1–2 weeks apart