Bonnett, G.D., & Hewitt, M.L. 2005 Numbers of pink sugarcane mealy bug, Saccharicoccus sacchari (Cockerell) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), differ within seasons and among regions and stages of the sugarcane crop cycle.. Australian Journal of Entomology 44(3): 304-309.

Notes: The pink sugarcane mealy bug (PSMB; Saccharicoccus sacchari) is widespread on sugarcane globally. PSMB infest above-ground storage tissue as it develops, feeding on phloem and producing exudate. It is not known, however, whether the level of infestations is the same in different sugar growing regions, or how population size varies year to year within a region. Field surveys of the number of nodes infested were conducted over five seasons in three mill-regions in northern Australia (Macknade, Kalamia and Marian) on plant and ratoon crops. The pattern of infestation was very similar across seasons (only in one year of very low rainfall was the increase in population delayed). In all three regions the proportion of nodes infested was similar but reached the maximum one month later in the Marian region compared with the Kalamia and Macknade regions. The Kalamia region was distinguished by the rapid decline in the number of nodes infested down to a very low level by March. In the Macknade region mealy bugs persisted at higher levels than the other two regions. The PSMB infestation started earlier and was much greater in ratoon crops than plant crops throughout the sampling period. The differences were more pronounced in the Macknade and Marian districts. These observations provide a firm basis from which future strategies to control PSMB can be developed.