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Mealybugs are the number-one insect pest of pineapple worldwide because they transmit Pineapple Mealybug Wilt-associated Virus (PMWaV), the main viral killer of the crop. Dysmicoccus brevipes (pink pineapple mealybug) and D. neobrevipes (grey pineapple mealybug) live in the leaf axil, feed on plant sap, produce honeydew, and are protected by ants (Pheidole, Solenopsis). Regional priority: Universal. Every pineapple block has some mealybugs; management is about suppression, not eradication.

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When pineapple is most vulnerable

At all phases. Early-vegetative outbreaks (months 3 to 6) set up late-cycle wilt losses. Fruit development (months 14 to 18) outbreaks damage fruit quality directly and open Fusarium entry sites.

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How mealybugs show in satellite data

  • Not directly detectable at Sentinel scale in early stages.
  • Once mealybug wilt develops, satellite shows expanding circular red-yellow patches (see Mealybug wilt).
  • Best detected by scheduled ground scouting, not remote sensing.

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Field symptoms

  • Waxy white or grey cottony colonies at the leaf axil and plant base
  • Sticky honeydew on lower leaves; may support sooty mold
  • Ants trailing the plant base - the earliest visible signal on a walk
  • Yellowing and pink flush on older leaves in advanced infestation (mealybug wilt onset)
  • Fruit-side colonies on developing fruit - direct quality damage
  • Colonies at the sucker base on planting material - the main way pests move between blocks

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Reduce the damage by

  • Clean planting material - dip suckers in insecticide (buprofezin, thiamethoxam) or hot water (50 C, 30 min) before planting.
  • Ant control is the leverage point - baits (hydramethylnon, fipronil) around block edges and along mulch lines break ant-mealybug tending. Without ants, natural enemies (lady beetles, parasitoid wasps) suppress mealybugs.
  • Preventive foliar insecticide on high-risk blocks - buprofezin (IGR), spirotetramat (systemic), or thiamethoxam. Rotate modes of action to slow resistance.
  • Scout every 2 weeks for mealybug colonies and ant trails; count colonies per plant.
  • Threshold - action at 5 or more colonies per plant, or any expanding wilt focus.
  • Do not intercrop with other mealybug hosts (banana, taro, ornamentals).
  • Rogue advanced plants at wilt focus edges to slow within-block spread.

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Set an alert for early warning

Turn the diagnosis into a trigger. Mealybugs are ground-scouted, so alerts are scheduled walks plus MWP satellite follow-up.
Recommended settings for mealybugs on pineapple:
  • Bi-weekly scouting reminder - schedule mealybug and ant walks every 2 weeks during vegetative and fruit development.
  • Ant-trail alert - flag any block where ant trails are recorded on more than 20% of scouted plants.
  • Wilt follow-up alert - trigger a mealybug re-inspection within 1 week on any block flagged for expanding wilt patches.