Since mid-April, a pasture mealybug has been reported from Cameron County to Robertson County and as far east as Galveston County. It has been found to be damaging many different grass species including Bermudagrass, Bahia grass, Johnsongrass, Haygrazer (Sorghum-Sudan) grass, several bluestem species, and St. Augustine turfgrass. The USDA identified our samples of mealybugs found in pastures and roadsides as the species Heliococcus summervillei.  This mealybug is an insect pest known to damage pasture grasses in Australia, causing what they call “pasture dieback.” Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has… Read More →