New invasive pest threatens ag industry

stephen biles | texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service An adult pasture mealybug (Heliococcus summervillei) is shown up close on a blade of grass.
stephen biles | texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service An adult pasture mealybug (Heliococcus summervillei) is shown up close on a blade of grass.

As Texas ranchers and agriculture officials work to address the re-emergence of the New World screwworm that devastated cattle herds in the past, a new invasive parasite has been identified that also threatens the state’s agriculture industry.

The pasture mealybug is a newly recorded species in the United States. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension entomologists first confirmed the pest in Texas in 20…