The longtailed mealybug, Pseudococcus longispinus (Targioni Tozzetti), is a widely-distributed pest that feeds on many economically important hosts, particularly tropical fruits and ornamentals. This mealybug gets its common name from the two long, waxy filaments protruding from the last abdominal segment of adult females (Figure 1). This characteristic helps distinguish it from other mealybugs that may feed on the same host plants, although these long filaments sometimes break off.
