3. Mealybug: Saccharicoccus sacchari (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera)
Distribution and status: Sugarcane growing areas
Host range: Sugarcane, reeds and some grasses

Damage symptoms
Pinkish oval insects beneath leaf sheath on the nodes, with whitish mealy coating. Sooty mould develops on the plant.  Main cane stunted; roots also attacked.

Bionomics
Female lays yellowish, smooth, cylindrical eggs. Within few hours the eggs become soft and elongated and soon the nymph emerges. Newly emerged nymphs are quite active with a pinkish transparent body. Nymphal period 2-3 weeks. Adults are white with mealy coating, sessile.  Life of adult female is 3-5 days. The entire life cycle is completed in about a month. The pest completes several generations in a year.

Management

• Use resistant varieties: CO 439, CO 443, CO 720, CO 730 and CO 7704
• Detrash on 150 and 210 DAP
• Drain excess water 
• Spray methyl parathion 50 EC or malathion 50 EC 1000 ml 1000 L water/ ha