October 1, 2026
Walking the fields is part of farming. The methodical process of scouting for anything unusual can help identify diseases, insects, and other management issues before they become a big problem.
When a team of scouts on a Florida farm recently spotted an unfamiliar insect on the grass, they kept walking to determine the spread. When they realized they had crossed into Georgia, they gave Lisa Baxter a call.
Since that call, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension forage specialists have been working around the clock to track the newly arrived pasture mealybug (Heliococcus summervillei) and establish the best management options for Georgia grass producers.
Baxter is working closely with Shimat Joseph, an associate professor in the CAES Department of Entomology who specializes in turfgrass and ornamental entomology. While pasture mealybug appears to pose a serious threat to pastures and sugar cane, Joseph said there have been only two official reports involving turfgrass — St. Augustinegrass in Texas and centipedegrass in Georgia.
UGA has established an online Pasture Mealybug Resources hub where Georgians can report suspected cases, follow the latest distribution map, and find updated management and biosecurity recommendations as researchers learn more about the pest. Visit georgiaforages.caes.uga.edu for more information.
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The full story on the CAES Field Report can be found here: https://fieldreport.caes.uga.edu/news/uga-experts-track-pasture-mealybugs-arrival-in-georgia/
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