Technical Name: Balanococcus poae
General:
Pasture mealy bug can be a serious pasture pest in Canterbury areas and is known to occur in the Manawatu and Nelson.
Identification:
Pink in colour and only growing to 2mm. They are egg shaped and is difficult to identify their head or legs. Can be identified by a white waxy secretion that looks similar to cotton wool at the crown and upper roots of ryegrass. Damage becomes apparent in autumn during extended dry periods. Damage can be mistaken for drought damage as it will affect the whole paddock and not patches.