[3] Planococcus ficus were most recently classified by Ben-Dov in 1994 as being insects of the kingdom Animalia, phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta, order Hemiptera, suborder Homoptera, family Pseudococcidae and superfamily Coccoidea.

They are found on apples, avocados, banana, date palm, fig, mango, and citrus fruits.

[6] Transportation of the vine mealybug has occurred through the movement of infected plants and agricultural equipment.

[3] The vine mealybug is usually distributed along the bark of the host plant’s trunk and arms and underground in the roots during the winter seasons.

[7] Vine mealybugs then move to the base of the plant’s shoots during the spring and become densely distributed on leaf foliage during summer and fall seasons.

[3]  Additionally, ants protect the vine mealybug from natural predators such as predatory beetles.

[3] Vine mealybugs have multiple natural predators such as predatory beetles like the Lady bird, parasitoid wasps such as Leptomastidea abnormis and entomopathogenic nematodes Steunernematidae and Heterorhabditidae.

During the pupae stage males develop three pairs of lateral ocelli and the wing buds grow to reach the third abdominal segments.

[3] The vine mealybug has emerged as a large pest in vineyards due to agricultural practices such as nitrogen fertilizer use and irrigation techniques.

[7] Vine mealybugs are known to produce large amounts of honey dew that can lead to mold development on foliage and branches.

The vine mealybug's distribution under the bark and roots of host plants make it hard to exterminate.

[15] Additionally, the waxy covering of the vine mealybug make it hydrophobic and able to avoid contact with insecticides.

[16] Physical sampling is most effective in summer seasons to estimate the population size to determine if insecticide intervention is needed.

[8] Additionally, proper pruning regimens for host plants are used to increase biological predators’ effectiveness by reducing hunting area.