unidentified mealybugs

Description:

Numerous small insects, the largest, ~ 1 x 4 mm, are whitish with small dark dorsal marks--four square-shaped, posterior and two oblong, anterior--and a matte appearance. Smaller ones, ~ 1 mm long are yellowish.

Habitat:

Suburban neighborhood on mesic, tropical, insular lowland plateau.

Notes:

Spotted in the underside of a leaf of a wiliwili (Erythrina sandwicensis) tree. They appear associated with silky, weblike material noted at the spotting location. Mealybugs are considered pests because of the damage they to do crops, decorative plants and trees.