The Pink Hibiscus Mealybug, which was once thought to have attacked 25 different plant species on Grand Cayman, is no longer being found on other types of plants and trees.
Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts said last week that the pest is now being found only on its host plant, the pink hibiscus.
That determination was made after US Department of Agriculture Entomologist Amy Roda visited the island last week to gauge the progress of biological control agents – parasitoid wasps, which were introduced into the country last year to fight the mealybugs.
Ms Roda’s review found that the wasps, and lady bug predators, were brought to Cayman early enough to stop the mealybug from moving onto other plants.
The Pink Hibiscus Mealybug does not pose a direct health threat to humans. However, it is known to attack between 250 and 300 plant and tree species leaving white, cotton-like goo on plant stems and tree trunks.
If the infestation becomes bad enough, the plants will die.
Mealybugs are hard to control because they have a short life-span and can lay 600 eggs at a time.
Mr. Tibbetts said some 195,000 wasps have been released into Grand Cayman since September and those insects appear to be migrating up to half a mile from the sites of their release to find infected hibiscus plants.
‘This is a positive example of some level of establishment of the wasp,’ said Mr. Tibbetts.
The government cautioned all news related to the Pink Hibiscus Mealybug is not positive.
Mr. Tibbetts said it’s expected there will be a normal period of fluctuation in which some plants may begin to recover, and get unhealthy again. He noted the mealybug is not the only environmental stress placed on the pink hibiscus.
Ms Roda’s data found it was obvious that some landscaping companies may have contributed to the mealybug’s spread to previously uninfected parts of the island. Government urged landscapers and gardeners to clean tools with alcohol after every job to prevent many pests from being carried to other sites.
The wasps being used to fend off the mealybugs may not be as readily available to the island in the coming months. Ms Roda said there has been a new Pink Hibiscus Mealybug infestation in Louisiana. She said this may increase demand for the insect at the Puerto Rico facility where it is bred.
Mr. Tibbetts said Ms Roda and the Department of Agriculture staff have developed plans for the establishment of field insectaries to help collect and move the wasps to areas where the mealybug infestations are occurring.
A closeup of a Pink Hibiscus Mealybug. Photo: File
Mr. Tibbetts
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