By James Villegas, Kerns, Dawson, Barbosa, Daniel, Wilson, Blake
LSU AgCenter
The pasture mealybug (Heliococcus summervillei) is an invasive insect pest associated with pasture dieback and damage to a range of grasses. In Louisiana, it was confirmed in 2025 from sugarcane fields in Vermilion and Iberia Parishes.