CLOSED: Prehistoric trilobytes back from the past to eat my garden??

Vaelor Melbourne, VIC, Australia(Zone 9b) Mar 08, 2007

Hi guys,

Can anybody identify this bizarre looking little fellow I found clinging to one of my cuttings recently? I'm growing three fuschias from cuttings, and a few days ago I noticed about three of these tiny, white, scaly, very prehistoric-looking critters clinging to the cuttings. They didn't appear to be eating anything or doing any harm, but to be safe, I knocked them off the plant, took a few photos to post here, and got them out of the pot altogether. They haven't been back since, and I suspect they were on the parent plant when I took the cutting and I simply didn't notice them, but I'm still very curious to know what they are!

The photo is an extremely enlarged super-macro shot, but in reality they are extremely tiny - barely the same width as the thickness of the edge of a coin. As you can see from the photo, they're white, and look quite textured - hard to tell how exactly, but they look powdery/scaly/something in addition to the obvious ridges on the body.

Any ideas?

Post #3260070

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hcmcdole Powder Springs, GA(Zone 7b) Mar 08, 2007

Some kind of mealy bug. Spray with soapy water, or dislodge with a stream of water, or if there aren't too many just dab it with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol (my preferred method).

Post #3260080

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kennedyh Churchill, Victoria, Australia(Zone 10a) Mar 08, 2007

I think it is probably the Citrophilous Mealybug (Pseudococcus calceolariae): http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2003/031209.htm
http://davesgarden.com/bf/go/1553/

Post #3261441

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Vaelor Melbourne, VIC, Australia(Zone 9b) Mar 09, 2007

Thanks Kennedy - comparing my photos to yours and those on the USDA website, I'd say there's absolutely no question it's the exact same thing.

At this point, I haven't seen any on my cuttings since I picked off those first few, so I suspect they hitch-hiked from the parent plant without my noticing. There don't appear to be any nests or more of the critters around my plant, but after reading about how subversive they can be, I'll definately be keeping a very close eye out!

Thanks guys!