The adult male is slightly larger, has long wax filaments on the posterior end of the body, and has functional wings.

For example, when growers are ready to attempt biological pest control of either mealybug, the use of molecular analysis is recommended to confirm the identity of the species so an appropriate parasitoid can be employed.

They are classified under the superfamily Coccoidea (scale insects) in the order Hemiptera (true bugs).

Males spend the one or two days of their adult lives mating, and have been observed achieving copulation with up to 23 females, with an average of about nine.

Mealybugs infesting plants in the constant conditions of greenhouses have stable, steadily reproducing populations all year.

[1] All mealybug species investigated so far have endosymbionts:[8] symbiotic bacteria that live inside their bodies and synthesize useful compounds such as amino acids that the insect can utilize.

[8] T. princeps attracted attention when genetic analysis revealed that it has the smallest genome of any bacterium studied thus far.

[10] It is found on fruit, vegetable, and other food crops, including pineapple, sugar-apple, coconut, melon, yam, figs, strawberry, sweet potato, mangoes, bananas, avocado, date palm, common guava, pomegranate, common pear, apple, eggplant, cacao tree, and soybean.

It is found on Amaryllis, Begonia, Bougainvillea, Canna, Cyclamen, Impatiens, Narcissus, Nicotiana, cacti, coleus, croton, sedges, dahlias, spurges, gardenias, roses, and tulips.

The mealybug secretes honeydew, which coats leaves and fruits and causes the growth of sooty molds.

A layer of mold can reduce the ability of a leaf to perform photosynthesis, and makes fruit unmarketable.

[2] Few insecticides are known to be very effective on mealybugs, because they can hide and avoid spraying, their wax layers resist some chemicals, and their overlapping generations prevent complete control.

Chlorpyrifos is commonly used, but in Tunisia a high degree of resistance has developed, possibly due to repetitive use.

In an attempt to forestall resistance, California commonly uses chlorpyrifos only during P. citri dormancy or as a postharvest treatment.

It also recorded nine predatory insects, including ladybird beetles, moths, a gall midge, and a green lacewing.